The Ghosts of Our Pasts
by PineappleApproves
Summary: Takes place in Batman: Arkham Knight (so there will be spoilers!). Gotham crumples into a fear-ridden husk under Scarecrow's control. But something unpredicted happens. Just as the Arkham Knight rose up from Batman's haunted past, another phantom appears from his. A ghost that had changed his life, for better and for worse. [Complete]
1. Chapter 1 - Haunting at Hilcroft

_**First off, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to check this story out. As mentioned, this story will mostly take place during the plot line of Batman: Arkham Knight. Also mentioned is that THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. If you haven't completed the game, buckle down and do it!**_

 _ **I know that B:AK altered Jason Todd's story. I'm sticking with that altered version. And then I'm altering it even more! Yo dawg!**_

 ** _As always, don't hesitate to review! Enjoy the story!_**

* * *

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a dim room. A small gasp escaped her mouth as the pain from the injection festered in her neck. Her ears were plugged with a rushing sound as though she was underwater. However, she managed to hear the deadened voice as it commanded, "Another dose."

Barbara Gordon's hands tightened on the armrests of her wheelchair as she struggled to lift her head. Her aching neck strained in protest. "I'm awake, you bastard," she managed to grumble through gritted teeth.

Her vision was starting to come back into focus. One of the soldiers was standing next to her, a syringe held idly in his hand. Before her, his horribly bloodshot eyes staring down at her, was Scarecrow.

"Good," he said, placing his hands behind his back. "Who is Batman?"

Like hell she was telling. "Ask him when he gets here," she spat back. Scarecrow didn't seem to be bothered by her resistance. He leaned towards her. Barbara kept her fierce gaze on him, using all of her being to not cringe away from his tattered face.

"Thank you, Ms. Gordon." She could see glimpses of his lipless mouth moving behind the rags. "I was afraid that my preferred interrogation method would not be necessary." He drew his hands out from behind and held his right hand up to her face. With his other hand, he stroked the needles. "Do you know why I wear these syringes on my hand?"

The pointed ends were so close to her eyes. Barbara's heart raced. She managed to tear her stare away from them and glower at Scarecrow. "Because you're insane?"

Scarecrow straightened up. He turned away and began to pace in a slow circle as he spoke about his toxin, how an airborne dose was nothing compared to a direct injection. Barbara kept a straight face as he spoke, but knew that he was foreshadowing her fate. Still, she would resist. She would resist even if he filled her entire body with his stupid toxin.

Finally, Barbara had enough. He could talk and talk, but she refused to let him get to her. "You're still talking," she said irately. Scarecrow stopped and turned his head to her.

"Very well." He stormed over her with a wrathful fervor and seized her neck, raising his needle-clad hand.

Her lungs tightened to the point where she couldn't breathe. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the stabbing sensation.

Suddenly a voice flared up. " _Get the hell away from her!_ " it demanded. Barbara's eyes snapped open as a figure emerged from the corner of the room. Scarecrow immediately released his grip and drew back. He reached over and pressed a button on the voice recorder that sat on a nearby table. Then, he turned to the one who had spoke. It was the Arkham Knight.

"Your interference was not needed," Scarecrow said hotly.

"If you turn her into an incoherent mess, then this whole operation goes to shit," the Knight said back. "We need her well and conscious."

"That will take too long," Scarecrow argued.

"I'll get her to talk," the Knight assured. Scarecrow fell quiet and he thought for a spell.

"Then get to it," he ordered. He raised a hand and indicated the soldier by Barbara to leave the room. "You have five minutes." He exited.

All was quiet. The Arkham Knight stepped over to the recorder and pressed the button. A red light appeared. "He's gone. Did he hurt you?" he asked as he kept his stare lowered to the recorder.

It was one villain to another. Just great. "Spare me the good-cop-bad-cop routine."

"No, no, no, no," the Arkham Knight said, shaking his head. He turned around and sat on the edge of the table, his face pointed directly at Barbara. "You're supposed to keep me talking. Play for time. Wait for Batman. That's what he taught you, right?"

Barbara rolled her eyes. This lunatic was crazier than she thought. "I've got nothing to say to you," she insisted.

The Knight placed a hand on his chest "Me, I talked for hours," he continued. "'Cause I knew, right?" He kept on going. Barbara had no clue what he was going on about. But for some reason, it didn't sound like delusional rambling. It sounded like something the Arkham Knight had wanted to get off of his chest for a long time. And then she heard him say it.

"You can't count on Bruce to save you."

How did he know? "Bruce?"

The Arkham Knight tilted his head and gave a sort of half-shrug. "Mmm, yeah. Scarecrow doesn't know. It's our little secret. Now here's another." He stood from the table and crouched in front of Barbara. "Batman likes to play the hero, Barbara. And he's pretty good at it. But it's an act. Batman's not about saving the innocent; he's about punishing the guilty."

Barbara stared angrily as the Knight further drilled on Batman. For some reason, his words bothered her more than Scarecrow's. "You're wrong," she insisted.

The Arkham Knight hung his head. He raised himself to his feet. As he lifted his hand, Barbara braced herself. But he continued to reach up to his helmet and pressed something. The Arkham Knight's mask raised. "Look me in the eye and say that."

Barbara's hands flew up to her mouth. She quickly dropped them. "Jason?!"

He whirled around and jammed his finger down on the recording button. The red light died. Barbara tried moving forward in her wheelchair, but something had locked the wheels. "Christ, Jason! I-I can't believe this! I… We all thought you died!"

"Did you, Barbara?" he replied, his voice rattling with bottled-up agony. "Did everyone believe that? Well, you have Bruce to thank for that."

"Don't say that."

"Why not?" he snapped. "You wouldn't know! It was day after day, month after month, of pure hell! And Bruce? He just let. It. Happen." He slammed a fist down on the table, causing the voice recorder to jolt. "And it's not only that. You remember, don't you, Barbara? Her. H-he…" His voice grew faded into a weak whisper. "He let her die too."

"Her?" Barbara repeated. Then realization lit up her eyes. "No… Jason, she's not—."

"That's _enough!_ " he shouted. He brought a hand up to his face as he let out a shaky sigh. After a moment, he lowered it. "Scarecrow wants you to talk," he said with a hardened voice. "So talk. And after this, I'm going to go kill Batman." He pressed the voice recorder.

"Jason, this is wrong!"

* * *

 _Earlier that night…_

A sound like the guttural roar of a beast bellowed from behind the vault door. The tremors rumbled through the entire room. Then, as quickly as it had started up, the explosion dissipated.

That was one of Cobblepot's caches down. He had a feeling that he had barely made a dent in that criminal's entire supply. His shoulders dropped a bit as he began to feel the weight of the past few hours. Battling the toxin at ACE Chemicals seemed like lifetimes ago.

"And it was the first time we really got to get a good look at each other!" a familiar voice piped up, cutting through his own thoughts. "Oh, Brucey! What a trip down memory lane!" He turned his head to look at the speaker, who stared gleefully back at him. That pale face… damn that face. It looked too real.

"Oh, I'm real alright," the Joker replied. "Just as real as you are."

Batman's face remained stoic, but deep in his chest, his heart jumped with fear at those words.

"Come on, Bats! Don't give me that look! We've got so much left to do!" The Joker waved a hand towards the vault door. "Sure, we rid of some of Penguin's toys, blah blah bl—BORING! Let's go after Scarecrow! Get another pump of that wonderful, magical toxin, eh? Whattaya say, Bruce ol'boy?"

It was just then that another voice spoke up. "Damn, I felt that all the way to my skull," Nightwing called over his shoulder. He was examining the contents of a parked van. "Just how much gel did you put in there?"

Finally relieved at a chance to ignore his delusion, Batman turned away from the Joker and walked over to Nightwing. "I've got a new lead on Barbara," he said. "I'm going after her now."

"That's good," Nightwing replied. He slammed a weapon crate shut and looked at Batman. "Bruce… you sure you don't want a hand with all of this? Scarecrow, this Knight guy, the state of this city… It seems like a lot."

"I know. I'm fine," Batman insisted. "I need you keeping tabs on these weapon trucks. It'd really help if you kept these guns out of criminal hands."

"That I'll do," Nightwing assured. With a nod, Batman turned away. He pulled the grapple gun from his belt as his eyes searched for a ledge to hook onto.

"Oh, you should know," Nightwing called after him. Batman turned his head to listen. "An old friend is coming back to town."

"An old friend?" Batman repeated. "Who…? No." He looked fully back at Nightwing. "Dick, the city's too dangerous! And you know she left Gotham for a reason."

Nightwing put his hands up defensively. "Hey, it wasn't like that. Look, the media hasn't been exactly quiet about this. Everyone, including her, knows exactly what's going on here. I just got a heads up a while ago, but I haven't heard anything since."

Batman was silent for a moment, contemplating. He brought up his arm and established a comms link. The flickering image of Alfred popped up in front of him. "Alfred," Batman said. "There—."

"Yes, Master Grayson has already informed me," Alfred acknowledged. Batman shot Nightwing a stern look. The young man gave an apologetic shrug.

"Monitor the city boundary," Batman instructed. "You know what to do."

* * *

With his arms crossed, he watched as Crane stepped slowly over to the cowering, bruised man. Scarecrow placed his hands behind his back and flexed his spindly fingers. On his right hand, the needles shifted. "You have gotten in over your head, Stagg." The man's voice was soft, no trace of menace. That's what made it terrifying.

"I-I… Crane, I—."

"Did you think that your senseless mewling could assuage me? You're wrong." Scarecrow had stopped before Stagg, looking down at him. Flanking the frightened man were two soldiers.

Simon Stagg raised a trembling arm in front of him, as though he expected to be lashed out at. "P-p-please, Crane. It w-was a mistake!"

"Indeed it was," Scarecrow agreed lightly. He lowered himself leisurely onto one knee, resting his hand on it. The syringes glinted under the blimp's fluorescent lights. "A mistake that, I promise you, you will very sincerely regret." He tilted his head. "Have you been curious about the final result of my toxin? My beyond-perfect work? Perhaps I should give you a first-hand experience."

Stagg's eyes widened. His body shook even more. "No, please! Stop, I beg you!"

Observing the scene from a short distance, the Arkham Knight uncrossed his arms. He'd enough of watching this mundane little scene; the old coward's pathetic pleading was beginning to irk him. The Knight marched away. There was still much that _he_ had to do. He was sure that Batman was already heading towards the blimps. And when that cur took his first step onto one of the airships, he wanted to be there.

The Knight stopped by a gun rack and quickly examined its contents. Then he took a few clips of armor-piercing rounds and hooked them onto his belt. As he worked, he overheard a few militiamen conversing.

"Said he spotted it near the southern border, close to Hilcroft Street. Man swears it was a ghost."

"Why? What did it look like?"

"A person wearing some kind of suit. Kind of like a lighter, paler version of that shit Batman wears. And so he thought it was one of Batman's allies. That, and why would some crazy moron wander into the city like that? Hey, but listen here: that's not what spooked Sander. What happened was that he shot at them with the drone's cannon. It, and I quote Sander directly, _went through_ them."

"Bullshit. I bet he just missed."

"That's what I figured too. The icing on the cake is that Sander went on to say that he saw a glimpse of the person again after the explosion died down, and then they just vanished right then and there. Not like the 'and then they booked it' kind of vanish, but the vanishing into thin air kind."

"I'm pretty sure Sander pulled that story out of his ass, but that's actually kinda creepy. Looks like Gotham's got itself a specter."

Upon hearing that word, the Arkham Knight's head snapped up. He placed the firearm he was prepping back in its holster and paced quickly to the militiamen.

"What did you just say?" he demanded. The men all looked at him and straightened their postures.

"Sir," one of them responded. "We were just talking. It… we didn't mean anything by it."

The Arkham Knight stepped forward. "I'm not going to ask you again."

"One of the Diamondbacks spotted someone on Hilcroft. It could have just been one of the stragglers left behind, but he raised the possibility that it could be one of Batman's allies. Don't worry, sir. We'll take care of it."

"No," the Arkham Knight ordered. "Keep the drones on their normal patrols. Top priority is alpha target; do _not_ forget that."

"Sir?"

"It was nothing," he snapped. "I don't want any further of mention of this 'someone,' got it? It was nothing!"

"Yes, Sir."

"Of course, Sir."

As he walked away, he lifted a hand to the side of his helmet. A channel to one of his ground units was opened. "Sergeant, what's your status?"

"All quiet, sir. We haven't had a sighting of alpha target in a while. I think he's headed up to your location."

"Good." It was time to focus on the task at hand. If Batman was coming, he would need everything he had. But as stepped over a glass pane and looked down on the city below, he couldn't help but wonder.

* * *

 _ **Addendum: The first part of the chapter is indeed the Arkham Knight's audio files. That poor voice recorder took a beating.**_

 _ **Thank you for reading!**_


	2. Chapter 2 - The Ghost in the Tunnel

_**To all of those who have looked at and/or reviewed, thank you so much! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story! Now upwards and onwards, shall we?**_

* * *

The bottoms of his treaded boots hit the ground before the aircraft did. He took quick, urgent strides forward as the carrier touched down. A large group of soldiers hurried up to greet him.

The Arkham Knight jerked a hand over his shoulder. "Prep the Cloudburst," he ordered. "Not you." The nearest handful of soldiers stopped in their tracks. "Come with me." He began to lead them away from the landing zone.

A nearby lieutenant noticed them. "Sir, the Cloudburst—," he began.

"Is being taken care of," the Arkham Knight interrupted briskly. "Let Scarecrow play with his new toy for a while. I have matters of my own."

"But what if he asks where you've gone?"

"Then tell him that there's something that needs my inspection. If Scarecrow needs to reach me, he knows how. Now get out of my way." The Arkham Knight continued forward. He led his men out onto the streets. The roads were empty, save for a few flickering streetlights, stripped cars, and cowering vagrants.

"Keep your eyes open," the Knight ordered. He was looking for something, but not Batman. No, if Batman managed to get off the blimp, Scarecrow would keep him preoccupied in Chinatown. And oh, was he in for a surprise.

"Sir, what are we looking for?" one of the men asked.

For once, the Arkham Knight wasn't sure how to answer. "Anything out of the ordinary," he answered. "If you do, keep your weapon trained on it. But don't fire unless I give the command."

All while he was on Stagg's airship, an itch had nagged him. It grew and grew in the back of his mind until he could no longer ignore it. He had to go see and make sure. Now, as he walked the streets, he still clearly remembered the way. It had been years, but he still knew how to find it.

Finally they came upon a tunnel. Before, it had been constructed under the intent of becoming an underground road. The project was abandoned shortly after construction began, so it only ran a quarter of a mile underground.

The Arkham Knight stopped at the entrance to the tunnel. The soldiers paused behind him. With a raised hand, he gestured sharply to the ground. "Wait here," he commanded. "Move out only when I give the say so."

The men watched as their commander walked into the tunnel. Eventually, his figure vanished into the darkness. One of the soldiers raised his rifle and rested it against his shoulder. "Man, what are we doing here?" he wondered out loud. "I doubt this is part of Scarecrow's plan."

"The Knight's got his own agenda, remember?" another militiaman answered. "Something about a personal crusade."

"Yeah, but that's got something to do with the Bat. Unless he's still on that balloon, Scarecrow's baited him to the safehouse up in Chinatown. What are we doing at some creepy old tunnel?"

"I don't know, but it must be important if the commander himself is at it."

"Will you two just shut up?" another soldier grumbled. "If the Knight catches you guys gossiping like a pair of hens, he's gonna raise hell on all of us."

Up ahead, the Knight found himself enveloped by black. Infrared vision had been activated in his helmet, but there was still very little that could be seen. It didn't matter, though. All he focused on was the concrete wall that ran beside him. He wondered if it still even worked.

At last, he found it. The Arkham Knight stopped and faced the wall. His hand ran over a few cracks that ran through the course concrete. Then, he dug his fingers into a certain crevice and pulled. A section of the wall swung open like a safe door. Behind it was a small, lens-like circle that emitted a faint blue light. A retina scanner.

The Arkham Knight casted a quick glance over his shoulder. He raised his helmet and lined his eye with the scanner. A blue light passed over it. It gave a little chirp, and then a large section of the wall slid away to reveal a descending flight of stairs.

He inhaled a sharp breath as he looked down the steps. A peculiar feeling washed over him. His skin tingled, and a dull pain pounded in his throat and chest. He quickly cast away the feeling with a brisk shake of his head. The Knight yanked his helmet over his face and began to descend.

A low whine sounded behind him. The Knight looked over his shoulder. The hidden door attempted to shut, but could merely twitch an inch. This place was old and rundown. Everything was falling apart. He considered heading back up to close the door himself, but changed his mind and continued down.

The stairs led to an underground room. It was considerably larger than Oracle's clock tower loft. The place was dark, and everything was covered in tarp. Even then, he could still recognize the room as it had been years ago. The tallest tarp-covered structure at the other end of the room was the main computer.

The Knight walked forward. The footstep echoed through the chamber, rebounding again and again in the empty space. What was he doing here? What was he looking for? It certainly wasn't closure, because there was none to be found. Every second he spent here hollowed him out. After all, he could no longer bear to think of her again.

His next step produced a crinkle. He looked down. A faded photograph was pinned under his boot. The Arkham Knight crouched and picked it up. Its worn image showed two smiling people lying in the grass, looking up at the camera. God, they looked so happy.

It was another blow to his chest. He wanted to tear it up and release the pain it brought him. But he couldn't. Instead, he lowered it back onto the ground. There was a dark splotch on the edge of the picture where he had held it. The Knight looked at his own hand. The tips of his gloves were coated in a fine layer of dust. Everything about this room had been forgotten… well, almost everything.

Rising to his feet, the Knight's eyes fell on the covered computer. Was it still functional? He wandered over to it, leaving the photograph behind. He remembered when it was in the height of its activity; it had been quite the machine. The Arkham Knight stopped in front of the main terminal. It, like everything else, was covered. But something was a bit off about it.

Reaching forward, he touched the tarp. Then he rubbed the tips of his fingers together. There was not even a single speck of dust on it. The Knight lifted the tarp and peered at the keyboard underneath it.

There. Dark little dots on certain keys indicated that someone had recently touched them.

Suddenly, there was movement. The Knight's eyes darted to the motion tracker in the lower corner of his helmet's display. Something was approaching him from behind. Instinctively, he dodged to the side just as he heard the whistle of a blade cutting through the air. He quickly backed away from the terminal as he scanned the area. There was no one there. But he was not fooled; the motion tracker said otherwise. The enemy was cloaked. That could only mean…

The Arkham Knight whipped out a firearm and pointed it at the direction of movement. His finger, however, stayed off of the trigger. He suddenly felt something take hold of the barrel and force the gun, and his arm, upward.

It was then the attacker appeared, materializing in front of him. It was a woman wearing a silver, skintight exo-suit. Pale, thin plates of armor covered most of the suit. Her face was covered with a helmet. Her left arm, the one that was forcing the gun up, was entirely robotic.

The Knight froze with shock. But… it couldn't be. "That arm…" was all he could manage to say.

"It's not just for show," she replied. There was a loud scrunching noise as the barrel of the gun was crushed. She suddenly ripped it out of his grip and threw it aside. Then she struck out with a fist, aiming for the Arkham Knight's head.

He sidestepped and caught her arm by the wrist. With his other arm, he rammed his elbow into her side and forced her onto her knees as he pinned her arm to her back.

She let out a breathless chuckle. "You're good," she mused. In a flash, she stood up. The Arkham Knight found himself gripping onto nothing. He looked up as she stood over him. A blade suddenly shot from the mechanism on her wrist. "But you can't beat what you can't touch." She slashed at his neck, but he ducked. Crouched on the ground, he shifted behind his opponent and slammed his fist into the small of her back. She stumbled forward from the blow.

This presented a window of vulnerability. The Arkham Knight swung his leg around, attempting to kick her feet out from under her. His leg passed right through her ankles.

With no hesitation, she whirled around. Her foot connected with the side of the Knight's head. The kick threw him onto the ground and caused his vision to swirl.

Something pressed tightly onto his chest, compressing his lungs. The Arkham Knight gazed up at the girl, gripping at the knee that was pinning him down. He saw as she raised her blade. In the second it took for her to drive it down, he had drawn out his own combat dagger and raised it in front of him.

The dagger caught onto a nook in her blade. The two weapons quivered as the both of them pushed against the other.

"Stop this!" the Arkham Knight ordered, his voice tight from the effort to keep the blade off of him.

"This is only going to end one way," she replied darkly. Suddenly, she looked up. A gunshot blared out. The Knight felt the pressure on his chest release as she phased through, allowing the bullet to pass through her. He quickly rolled onto his feet. Soldiers swarmed into the room, their guns trained on the silver figure.

"Hold your fire, damn it!" the Arkham Knight barked. He slid his dagger back into its sheath.

The girl hesitated for a moment. Then, she slowly raised her hands and rested them on the back of her head.

"Smart move," the Knight said. He reached over and ripped a small, disk-like device from the back of her neck. "Let's keep that little 'ghosting' ability of yours from recharging. Oh, I know you used up all of your suit's energy in that little scuffle of ours." He looked over to his men. "She can still cloak. Be alert. Use your motion tracker, should it come to that."

"How the hell do you know so much?" she hissed. The Arkham Knight looked down at her.

"All questions will be answered in due time. Now on your feet." He took her right arm—her human arm—and yanked her up by it. The soldiers filed behind them as the Arkham Knight led the specter to the stairs.

As he walked, he heard a crinkle under his boot. It was the photograph on the ground: a picture of a young man and woman together.

* * *

 _ **Addendum: Action scenes are hard to write. Especially when it's the wee hours of the morning and you're sleep-depraved. Heh.**_

 _ **Also, those soldiers totally disobeyed the Knight by barging in. He's going to give them such a spanking after this.**_


	3. Chapter 3 - A Little Taste of Fear

"Well, well, Knight," Scarecrow mused as he watched the Arkham Knight lead his newest prisoner into the room. "Another one of Batman's friends captured? You impress me."

"Is the Cloudburst ready?" the Arkham Knight asked. He looked back at the militia unit that followed him and jerked his head. One of the men hurried forward with what looked like a stubby firearm. He pressed it against the prisoner's robotic arm and pulled the trigger. The device let out a sharp buzz. Suddenly, her arm fell limp, disabled.

"Almost." Scarecrow sauntered over to the prisoner. As he approached, his reflection on her helmet grew. "You 'heroes' always insist on hiding your faces. What is it about the light that frightens you?" He grabbed the top of the helmet and tore it away. The woman was yanked forward by the force, but was quickly pulled back by the shoulder by the Arkham Knight.

Her dark gold hair fell on her shoulders and framed her face as she kept it lowered. Scarecrow reached forward and tilted her head up by the chin. The woman kept her eyes downcast.

"Poor, poor girl," Scarecrow purred. "What is it with Batman and putting the young and the innocent in harm's way?" Unbeknownst to anyone in the room, the Arkham Knight's free hand twitched. "Still, you have chosen a side. And you have chosen poorly." He removed his hand from her chin and scraped the tips of his syringes against her neck. "You will tell me about the Batman. Tell me about his weaknesses, his… _tender_ points."

The woman kept her eyes trained away from her interrogator. Her mouth did not move. Beside her, the Arkham Knight watched the exchange, keeping his vice-like grip on her shoulder.

"Always so resolved, his allies," Scarecrow said with a sigh. "Let me put it this way: you will talk, or you will scream."

"Just tell him what you know," the Arkham Knight insisted. There was a pause, and still no words were spoken. Scarecrow turned his back to the woman and took a step away. He raised his right hand up to his face, using his other hand to trace the tubes that ran along his arm.

"Knight, step away from the prisoner."

"Wait. Let me—."

"You don't want to be caught in it, do you? Step away," Scarecrow demanded gently. The Arkham Knight glanced at the woman. He slowly, almost reluctantly, removed his hand from her shoulder and backed away.

"Thank you." Scarecrow turned so that his profile was towards the woman. In a flash, he pointed his arm at her. A thick, dark cloud of gas shot out into the woman's face. Her head jerked back as though she had been hit. The soldiers in the room immediately backed away.

Scarecrow watched with his hands resting leisurely behind his back as he watched the woman hold her face with her human hand, sputtering.

"Sir," his earpiece suddenly spoke. "The Batman has reached the safehouse."

"This should be interesting," Scarecrow mumbled to himself. He looked at the coughing, gasping woman. "Let me know when you're ready to cooperate." With that, he turned and left the room.

The cloud of fear gas quickly dissipated harmlessly into the air. The woman twitched madly, her breathing heavy. She suddenly looked up, as though something had caught her attention. Then, she raised her arm, trying to shield herself from something above her. The breathing transformed into panicked crying. She fell backwards. Her robotic arm, still disabled, was unable to catch her fall. The woman landed on her side, clutching the part of her shoulder that was still flesh.

"No! _No_! _DON'TPLEASENO_!" She began screaming. The Arkham Knight, watching from a short distance away, clenched his hands into fists to stop their trembling. He knew exactly what she was experiencing. He was glad that his helmet hid his face.

"Get out!" he suddenly snapped to the soldiers. "All of you. The Cloudburst is almost operational. Get to your stations." The men gave curt nods and quickly filed out of the room. A few of them glanced back at the shrieking woman.

When he was sure that the room was finally empty, he walked over and knelt by the woman. She looked at him with a terrified, tear-stained face and tried to crawl away. The Knight caught her and pulled her against him. He wrapped an arm around her neck and tightened it. The woman's crying was quickly cut off. She pulled weakly at his arm. Her legs thrashed wildly, and she disappeared as she desperately cloaked.

It only took a handful of seconds, but it felt like an eternity. It was painful to listen to the strangled gasping and the scraping of her feet against the ground.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, trying to drown out the noise. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't there. I'm… I'm so sorry." Eventually, the struggling stopped. There was a _thump_ as the woman's hand hit the ground. She reappeared, as her consciousness could no longer support the cloak.

The Arkham Knight immediately released his grip. The woman's head fell back against his chest. Her lips were slightly parted, tiny breaths coming to and fro between them. The Knight tucked his arms under her knees and behind her back as he lifted her up. He carried her to the door, and then stopped.

After a moment's consideration, he gently shifted her so that she was draped over his shoulder. Then he held his head up and walked through the door. The Arkham Knight continued forward until he reached a small room that contained a small couch and a collapsed shelf. He lowered the woman onto the couch. Then, for a spell, he stood there.

"Sir." The Arkham Knight quickly glanced up at the soldier who stood by the door. "What are we going to do with her?"

"What you're going to do is guard this door," the Knight replied sternly, marching out of the room and shutting the door behind him. "And let me know the moment, _the moment_ the prisoner is awake. You got that?"

"Yes sir."

* * *

His hands were wrapped tightly around the steering wheel. The Batmobile rumbled underneath him, ready to take off at a moment's notice. His objective was clear: get to Ivy at GCPD and find out the secret to her "natural immunity." But for the moment, all he could do was sit there.

How could he have let this happen? He just watched as Barbara… and he couldn't do anything.

"Couldn't, or didn't?" the Joker wondered innocently, leaning against the side of the vehicle. "Such a simple little word swap, yet it changes the whole meaning of things, right Bats?"

Batman scowled. He punched the button that pulled the Batmobile's windshield over the driver's seat. The Joker tapped on the ballistic glass. "Oh, come on, Bruce!" he shouted, his voice muffled. "Now you're just acting like a child! I know you never got to be one, what with the gunned-down parents and all, but really!"

Suddenly Batman's comms crackled to life. It was Scarecrow broadcasting on a public channel, but the message was directed towards Batman.

"You never seem to learn," Scarecrow taunted. "Do you not realize, Batman, that every ally you pull into this futile battle only serves to hurt you more than it helps?" He paused, allowing his words to sink in. "This one seems much less chatty than Barbara Gordon was. But I can assure you that I will extract every last drop of information, every little bit of ammunition to break you, from her. Then she will receive the same fate as Ms. Gordon." The line cut to dead silence as the broadcast ended.

"Oooh!" Joker said, wincing as though he had stubbed his toe. "You hear that, Bats? The stuffed straw man's got another! I say, you're losing friends like you're losing hair." The clown ran his hand over the top of his green head. "And Rogaine's not going to help you with this one."

He had enough. It was time to get into action and stop Scarecrow as soon as he could. Batman's foot struck down on the accelerator. The Batmobile roared to life and shot down the road.

As Batman veered through the streets, he established a channel to Alfred. "Crane has her," he said gravely as soon as the uplink was established.

"I found nothing on the scanners. I'm terribly sorry, sir," Alfred replied somberly.

"Don't be. It's not your fault," Batman said.

"And neither is it yours. Master Bruce, you mustn't blame yourself for anything that has happened tonight." There was a soft beeping noise. "Oh… It appears someone is attempting to contact you. This isn't anyone I seem to recognize, sir."

He knew who it was. "Patch them through, Alfred."

"Very good, sir." There was a lull as the unknown contact connected. Then, a male voice spoke up.

"I must say, Crane certainly looks the part now. It's the nose… definitely the nose. And by that, I mean the lack of one."

"Verlix," Batman greeted as he rounded a corner. GCPD was very close. "You heard the broadcast, didn't you?"

"Of course, Batman. I've got my fingers in everyone's pies. And I suppose you thought you'd intersect us by the city border and convince us to turn back? Not a chance, man."

"Alfred didn't pick up any cloaking agent residue," Batman admitted.

"Leaving behind detectable residue is a thing of the past. We've upgraded," Verlix said. "You're not the only one who can come out with a 2.0 version. Except me; I'm still ancient." Verlix let out a breathy chuckle. "Anyway, Crane better not be hurting her too bad. I hear that gas is nasty stuff."

"As soon as I take care of Scarecrow's toxin, I'll get her back," Batman assured. Ahead of him, the shutter door to the GCPD's underground entrance rose. He guided the car through the tunnel.

"Batman, there's really no need," Verlix said. "I'm sure your agenda is overflowing as it is."

"Scarecrow is planning to kill her," Batman warned. "I cannot allow that to happen."

"Don't worry; she knows what she's doing. This isn't like last time," Verlix insisted. The Batmobile reached the entrance to the police department. The vehicle skidded to a halt on the asphalt. "Really, Batman, we're fine."

"I can't ask you to put your lives in danger for me."

"You don't need to. We're doing this, whether you like it or not. See you on the other side." The connection ended.

When Batman walked through the doors of the GCPD, he stopped short when he saw the pale face and wide grin standing right in front of him. Then, he marched forward, ignoring Joker's mocking stare.

"A 2.0 version, eh? This is what happens when you don't finish the job. The weed grows right back! And they stick all kinds of new machines onto themselves! Ghostie girl's been busy, hasn't she? Looks like she got over him real quick. But then again, _so did you_." Those last words struck a chord, but Batman pressed forward. He could hardly hear the words of greeting and encouragement coming from the police officers he passed.

On his way to the isolation chamber, he saw Cash up ahead. Suddenly, the prior event that took place in that safehouse came to mind. The thought became another weight in his chest. Another death in the family.

* * *

 _ **Addendum: Every time Alfred said "Very good, sir" in the game, a big goofy smile would appear on my face. He's just the best thing ever.**_

 _ **Also, Verlix forgot to point out that Scarecrow's balls apparently dropped since Arkham Asylum. Dat voice doh. John Noble did a fantastic job. I half expected Scarecrow, at some point, to tell Batman that he's like a rare breed of butterfly. Or force a hobbit to sing to him while he explodes grape tomatoes all over his face.**_


	4. Chapter 4 - Laser-Guided Thief

The Cloudburst was being strapped onto the tank. The moment was fast approaching. Gotham was going to drown, and its "savior" would drown with it.

Suddenly, the ground began to tremble. The Arkham Knight looked down at his feet. The rumbling was growing in intensity. Then, a loud boom ripped through the air.

"Sir, a giant tree… monster… thing just ripped through the ground!" the Arkham Knight heard through his intercom. It was from one of the units on Grand Avenue. So Batman was pairing up with Poison Ivy. It seemed the Dark Knight's definition of a "friend" was very loose… how fitting.

Still, it didn't matter. Batman and Ivy could unearth as many weeds as they wanted. The Cloudburst would choke them all. "Cut it down," the Knight ordered.

"Right away, sir." In the background, he heard one of the men call out, "Bring it down! Use the RPG!"

Out of his peripheral vision, he saw Scarecrow stride up to the tank. He stood there with his hands held behind his back, staring at the Cloudburst as though he were admiring a trophy. The Arkham Knight walked over.

"I assume the Batman was the cause of those tremors," Scarecrow said, not taking his eyes off of the Cloudburst.

"He's teamed up with Poison Ivy. They're trying to counter your toxin with her spores," the Knight confirmed. "My men are taking it down as we speak."

"Dr. Isley will not be able to stop me," Scarecrow said matter-of-factly. "But they can certainly try. They can hope. It will make their suffering all the more sweet." Crane was always so obsessed with suffering. He was more focused on the means than the end. There was only one end that the Arkham Knight wanted: putting Batman down like the dog he was. Scarecrow was not getting in the way of that.

The Knight's communicator blipped. He turned and walked away as he reached up to his earpiece. "Speak."

"The prisoner's awake, sir."

The Arkham Knight tensed up, but relaxed. "Keep that door shut until I get there," he ordered. He marched back into the building—a hotel that had been transformed into one of their main bases of operation.

He passed a room that was full of consoles and machinery. A drone operator unhooked his earpiece and stood up. "Sir, Batman just—," he began.

"Send another unit after him," the Arkham Knight barked with a brisk, dismissive wave of his hand. He hurried away before the operator could reply. He didn't slow down until he reached the prisoner's room. The guard was standing in front of it, holding his rifle.

Reaching forward, the Knight undid the electronic lock on the door. He opened the door and entered the room. Behind him, the guard followed and shut the door.

She was sitting on the other end of the couch, gripping the seat on either side of her. Her head was lowered and turned away. Upon seeing her, the guard raised his rifle and pointed the barrel at her.

"Lower your weapon," the Arkham Knight said through gritted teeth. The guard obeyed. Then, the Knight turned his attention back onto the girl.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" he asked. She didn't move or speak. "You didn't have a very good experience with the fear gas. I'm sure you don't want another dose. Talk." Still nothing. The Arkham Knight turned to the guard. "Leave," he demanded. He looked back at the girl as he heard the sound of the door closing behind him.

When they were alone, he took a step forward. His austere, cold posture was dropped.

"Just say something, Jo. Please." Silence.

Suddenly, something crackled. The Arkham Knight looked down at his belt. It was the short-distance radio on his belt. The radio was weak and unreliable, but was the only form of wireless communication the Batman couldn't hack. Thus, it was only used for emergencies.

The Knight quickly pulled the radio up to his face as he listened to the static-filled message.

"—reach! I repeat, we have a security breach! The vault has been compromised!"

"What's going on?" the Arkham Knight demanded.

"Someone's taken the chips!"

"Impossible! I've got an armed unit and four inches of steel guarding them!"

"Th-they're dead, sir. And something cut right through the vault."

"What?" The Knight looked back at the girl. She still hadn't moved. Something didn't seem right. He reached out and touched her shoulder. His hand went right through her. That couldn't be. He had removed the charging disk; she wouldn't be able to phase. The Knight continued to reach through until his hand touched the couch. There was a small object there.

As he wrapped his fingers around it, the image of the girl flickered. When he pulled it out and looked at his hand, the hologram vanished entirely. He held the tiny projector in his palm.

"That's a new one," he muttered irately as he crushed the device in his hand. He had probably been looking at a hologram the entire time. She had been hidden in a corner, cloaked, and slipped out of the room when they entered. But if that was the case, then why didn't his motion tracker pick her up? Then he realized.

"Verlix," he growled under his breath. "He always knew how to ruin my day." He whirled around and stormed out of the room. The guard was started by his sudden appearance.

"The prisoner's gone," the Arkham Knight informed him, throwing the crumpled projector aside. "Tell Scarecrow that the chips have been stolen."

Losing the information chips was not detrimental to their plans. But it provided an inconvenience. Those chips contained backup files of nearly all their schematics—blueprints of the Cloudburst, drones, unit formations, and more. That information was now in enemy hands. No doubt they would be shown to Batman, too. By the time he reached the vault, he knew that it was no use going after her. She was probably long gone. And Verlix probably disabled the tunnel entrance. He had never really asked about the other hidden entrances.

The Arkham Knight walked past the bodies on the ground. One man had been stabbed through the chest. Another had a crushed larynx. The Knight stepped over an arm. 'She's changed,' he thought to himself. 'But then again, so have I.'

He stopped in front of the vault and examined it. A hole had been sliced into the steel door. The edges of the cut were completely smooth. A narrow, high-intensity laser had made them.

"Was it the Batman?" an accompanying soldier asked. "I thought he couldn't get anywhere near Founder's Island."

"No," the Arkham Knight said. "It was her. It was the Specter."

"The… the Specter, sir?"

The Arkham Knight remained silent as he reached out and traced the edges of the cut.

* * *

 _Many years ago…_

It was incredible, quite unbelievable. His finger ran along the edge. It was hard to believe that someone had actually snuck into the Batcave and cut through one of Lucius' crates. Hell, these things could survive free falling into concrete! Not to mention these cuts were so precise!

"It was a laser," he heard Bruce say behind him. "High-intensity, but concentrated to a point. Nothing in the crate was damaged."

"So I'm guessing we can cross Catwoman off of the list of suspects," Jason noted as he lifted the damaged lid off of the crate to inspect the contents. "But you can't really call it a list if no one's on it."

"I don't think there's anything in the Batcave Selina would be interested in," Bruce said. "Besides, she doesn't know about this place. That's what worries me: how did they find us?" He was slowly circling the crate, an arm raised. The device on his arm displayed a few moving gauges and a rapidly changing number. "What did they take?"

Jason peered into the crate. He lifted out a rack of Batarangs and placed it on the ground beside him. Then he ran his hand over the remaining gadgets in the box, quickly making a head count. "Just a few Batarangs… the remote control ones, too. Dang, those are the good ones. Everything else is fine. Oh wait, there's a concussion detonator missing too. What do you think they're—What are you doing?" He watched as Bruce took a step back. One of the gauge's markers flew up, and the number rose.

"I'm picking something up around the crate," Bruce answered. "It's incredibly faint, and…" He pressed a few more buttons, but the screen flashed red. "… Unidentifiable. For the time being." He pulled up a new screen. "Barbara."

"Can't a girl go on a Breaking Bad marathon in peace?" a voice answered. After a second, the screen flickered to the image of Barbara Gordon. "I'm just kidding. What's up?"

"We just had a break in," Bruce replied. "The Batcave's alarms went off half an hour ago."

"What? Someone got into the _Batcave_?" Barbara gawked. "That's… well, did you catch them? Do you want me to come over?"

"They're gone. The scanners haven't picked up anyone else besides us. And there's no need. I've detected some strange remnant in the air left by the thief. I need you to analyze it."

On the screen, Barbara looked off-camera to something. "I just got the data. Let's see… _Whoa_. Uh… I might need a second with this." She reached forward and began typing away at the keyboard. Then she leaned back and pressed the tips of her fingers against her lower lip as she frowned at her screen. "What is that?" she mumbled under her breath. Then, louder, "Yeah, Bruce, this might take a while. I'll get back with you once I get some results."

"Thanks, Barbara."

"Don't mention it." The screen disappeared.

"Hey, check this out," Jason called out. He had moved away from the crate and was crouched by something on the ground. He picked the thing up and held it up to the light.

"What is it?"

"Our missing concussion detonator," Jason responded. "And it looks like it already exploded." He stood up. "I guess our thief wasn't very careful with it… Or they just didn't know what it was. They probably accidentally detonated it." He shook his head and scoffed. "What a moron."

"That's what set off the alarm," Bruce surmised. "Not their entrance. The thief managed to bypass the Batcave's thermal and motion scanners. Tracking them isn't going to be easy."

"No need," Jason said.

"What do you mean?"

"Take it from me," he said. "When a thief finds a jackpot—which this place most definitely is—they'll come back. We just need to place something bigger and shinier than what they already have in a place we can monitor." He took a quick look around. "It would help if it was somewhere that doesn't scream, 'hey, this is a trap!'"

"We'll have to keep a close eye," Bruce warned. "If the Batcave's security couldn't spot the thief, then there's a good chance we won't either. Once Barbara gets back with answers, we can start taking countermeasures."

Jason reached his arms up and stretched. "Wow, this is actually kinda fun. I can't wait to nab 'em."

"Don't let your guard down, Jason. This intruder could be dangerous."

"How dangerous could they be if they set off a concussion detonator in their own face?"

"That detonator is designed to knock out a fully-grown man. They had one go off and still managed to escape."

"Yeah… well, I could probably do that too."

"There's more in the crate. Do you want to put that to the test?"

"Actually, it's getting pretty late. I think I'm gonna turn in."

* * *

 _ **Addendum: To clear things up for those who may be confused: we are now jumping many, MANY years back when Jason Todd was still Robin.**_

 _ **Also, no Jason. The remote control Batarangs are not the "good" ones. They are rage-inducing, inverted-controlling little bitches. Clearly, you have not used one. Otherwise you would be tossing them at the thief, shouting, "Take them! Just take them all!"**_

 _ **It's also very disconcerting when I realized that Barbara, at this point, was not yet wheelchair-bound. And Heisenberg can wait. There is justice to be done.**_


	5. Chapter 5 - Gotcha, Almost

"Able to what?"

There was a heavy sigh. "Able to mimic the behavior of photons as if they were unobstructed."

"…. Able to what?" Jason repeated.

Barbara glared at the webcam and, consequently, at him. "Bruce, you get it, right?"

Bruce was sitting at the Batcave's computer terminal. His mask was sitting on the desk beside him. "I do. I just don't understand how it's possible."

"Me neither," Barbara replied. "It's like something out of science fiction."

"Would anyone care to explain?" Jason asked. "I know it has something to do with light going through something."

"Huygen's Principle," Barbara clarified.

"You say that like it's something I should know."

"It's something you _do_ know. It's why you can see through a window," Barbara said.

"So you're saying the thief is see-through… _Invisible_? Well that's just not fair."

"Not only that," Bruce piped up. "Their cloak hides thermal radiation. And any wave, not just light, will "pass through" them by Huygen's Principle. So motion detectors and sonar won't pick them up either."

Jason casted a quick glance around. "So how are we going to catch them, then? They could already be in here for all we know!"

"They're not." Bruce began to type. A progress bar, accompanied by the words 'Transferring,' popped up on the main computer. "Their gift is also their curse. When they cloak, they emit that strange residue. Not by much; I could barely detect it last night." The progress bar filled up entirely. The words switched to 'Transfer Complete.' Bruce raised his arm and activated his electronic gauntlet. "Barbara's created a radar that detects that residue. It's extremely sensitive. Even the smallest traces will get picked up."

"Really?" Jason looked back at Barbara. "You designed that in one night?"

"It's amazing how productive you can get when you're dying to get back to your marathon. This season's getting really good. You should check it out sometime."

"Eh, I'm not a TV show kind of guy."

"Your loss. Anything else I can do?"

"We've got it from here," Bruce assured. The video chat ended.

Jason clapped his hands together. "All right, we've got the trap," he said. "Now we just need the bait. It needs to be something juicy. I'm thinking… oh, what about the Batwing? There isn't a person alive who would say 'no' to that!"

Bruce gave Jason a disapproving look as he donned on his mask. "No."

"I stand corrected."

* * *

A plan had been made, and was now being set in motion. The thief was probably aware that they had made their intrusion known with the damaged crate. They would expect the Batcave to be on high alert. To play on that expectation, most of the Batcave's valuables had been moved to a lower chamber. Meanwhile, Jason stayed in the main area of the cave, acting as the guard waiting for the intruder. Obviously, the thief would not be fooled. They'd find their way to the lower chamber. And that's where the Batman would wait.

Even with the plan, their first few nights proved fruitless. As crazy as it might sound, Jason was not too fond of spending his nights forcing himself to stay awake while nothing happened. He was starting to think that this effort was pointless. It didn't seem like the thief was ever coming back.

Tonight was another solo night. Gotham never slept, and Batman had gone out to answer the call of duty. The fact that Bruce had trusted him with this task made Jason determined not to let him down. Still, it wasn't like anything was happening. The air was so quiet, and it was so dark. His eyelids were feeling like lead.

Jason crossed his arms and shifted his sitting position. He was perched on a beam near the ceiling, his back to the wall. He raised his hands and rubbed his face, and then ran them through his hair. "Don't fall asleep," he quietly grumbled to himself. But a quiet little voice whispered from the back of his mind: "But you're so tired! Exactly how much sleep did you get yesterday? Come on, Bruce is being so unfair! Just clock in a few minutes; nobody will notice!"

The little voice had a big point. His arms relaxed onto his lap and his head rested against the wall as he felt himself droop into peaceful bliss.

Suddenly a noise jerked him awake. Jason sat up, feeling a pang of guilt. But the thing that woke him up wasn't the voice of a disappointed mentor. It was a soft beeping in his ear. Shocked, Jason looked at the device that had been attached to his forearm. It was the residue detector, and it was picking something up!

The detector's radar showed that the source was directly below him. Jason leaned to the side and looked down at the chamber's entrance. There! The door to the lower chamber was ajar!

"Well damn!" Jason muttered in amazement under his breath. He raised his hand to his ear and was about to contact Batman. He quickly changed his mind. Bruce had told him to stay hidden and call if the thief ever appeared. But that would take too much time. The thief was right there! And he'd be able to stop them; he was sure of it.

Silently, he dropped down from the beam and crept closer to the door. He pressed against the wall. Using the radar, he could pinpoint the position of the thief. They were shown by the little moving red dot, which was trailed by a faint red comet-like tail.

Suddenly, the tail disappeared as the dot came to a quick standstill. Jason held his breath, wondering whether he should barge into the room or not. The decision was made for him.

In an instant, the red dot flew towards him. No, it was making a mad dash for the door. Somehow, the thief knew he was there. But the fact that they were running for the door showed that they didn't know exactly where he was.

The door flew open. The red dot passed directly beside his location. Jason quickly lunged from the wall. As expected, he couldn't see the thief at all. The radar served as his eyes.

Jason felt himself tackle something. He heard the 'something' cry out as they both flew off of their feet. As soon as they hit the ground, the thief broke out of their cloak. Jason had a split second to look at whom he was pinning. It was a young woman wearing a silver and white exosuit. She was staring up at him, but all he could see was his own reflection in her helmet.

Then, she… got up? He saw her rise to her feet, as if he wasn't even there. Next thing he knew, he was pinning nothing on the ground. Jason looked up and saw the thief's back as she was racing away.

"What the fuck?" Jason yelled breathlessly as he scrambled onto his own feet and bolted after her. To his surprise, he didn't seem to be gaining on her. This girl was fast!

"Get back here!" he shouted as he vaulted over a rail. Of course she wasn't going to do that; it just felt like the right thing to yell at the moment. As the chase continued, he realized that she was headed towards the waterfall exit. There was a chance he'd be able to corner her there.

The thief seemed to realize the same thing. She started veering to the side. Jason pulled a Batarang from his belt and threw it. It hit the railing next to her, producing a loud _clang!_ and even a few sparks. The thief shied away from it, steering back towards the waterfall. In those little seconds of distraction, Jason managed to catch up a little.

A little crackle sounded in his ear. "Jason," Batman said from the other end. "Anything happen at the Batcave?"

"Can't talk now!" Jason panted.

"Is the thief there? I told you not to—."

"Don't worry, I got this!"

The thief was headed straight for the waterfall. Now was his chance! But the girl didn't seem to slow down. She sprinted straight into the cascading water.

That's right! Jason cursed himself for forgetting the girl's weird 'going through stuff' power. He sped towards the roaring water. Right as he was about to hit the waterfall, the boy ducked his head and dove through. He could feel the water hitting his back. When he emerged on the other side, he broke his fall with a roll. Rising to his feet, Jason coughed up a mouthful of water and looked around for the girl.

He spotted her up ahead. She was racing up a path that ran up a slope. "Wait, stop!" Jason dashed after her. But this time, it wasn't to catch her; it was to save her. The path ended abruptly in a cliff, but she wouldn't know that.

She suddenly stopped, but it was too late. Her arms were thrown out and waved in circles as she tried to balance herself, but she began to teeter forward. Jason quickly crossed the distance between them and grabbed her by the back of her neck. As he pulled her back, something tore off from her suit.

Jason looked at his hand. In it was a small, disk-shaped piece. The thief took the moment to dart away from him. But suddenly she stopped short. She reached back and touched the back of her neck. Upon feeling the empty spot, she shot him a glance and saw his clutched hand.

It was as if all intentions of fleeing had disappeared. She marched towards, stopping a short distance from him. "Give that back!" she demanded in an outraged voice.

Ah, this was getting interesting. Jason rested a fist against his hip, his other hand tossing the disk up and down playfully. "Doesn't feel too good when it's _your_ stuff being taken, does it?" he taunted.

The thief suddenly flew at him. Jason spotted a flash of metal in the moonlight and dodged back as the dagger slashed the air in front of him. The girl took another strike at him, but he caught her by the wrist.

"Whoa, cool it, will you?" he cried. In response, the girl raised a leg and kicked his stomach. The blow knocked him back a couple of steps. In the second it took him to recover, the girl had already crossed the distance and tried to stab at his head. Jason moved, and the blade flew through the air right next to his face. He thrust a fist up and caught her chin with an uppercut. The girl fell back, but recovered with a summersault. She charged at him. Jason held up his arms, ready to counter her tackle. But the collision never happened. She passed through him and reemerged behind him. Jason glanced over his shoulder as the girl raised the dagger.

Something whistled through the air. A flying Batarang knocked the dagger out of the girl's hand. A large, dark figure appeared in the air and hit the ground between Jason and the thief. The girl's gaze flitted quickly from the dagger on the ground to Jason's hand to Batman. She turned on her heel and began to run. Batman quickly launched his Batclaw at her, but it went through her.

"What the—?" Batman began quietly.

"Yeah, I forgot to tell you she could do that!" Jason said. He stooped down to grab the dagger. He pulled his arm back and threw the blade at her. The girl strafed to the side, and the blade flipped right past her and stuck into a cliff face. She paused and glanced at the knife. Then she ran and disappeared into the wall.

Jason was prepared to go after her again, but Batman held an arm out to stop him. "There's no use now," he said. He turned to Jason and regarded him with a stern glare. "Why did you do that, Robin?"

"What? I was trying to stop her!"

"With a _knife_ , Jason? There was a chance you could have killed her!"

"A small chance!" Jason argued. "I knew what I was doing!"

Batman angrily shook his head and began to walk past Jason. "If she's smart, she won't come back," he said, changing the subject. "I'll find a way to track her down. You should have contacted me before engaging."

Jason stood there as Batman entered the cave. He walked against the cliff face and leaned against it, feeling the rumbling of the waterfall. It's not like calling Batman would have done anything! He had her where he wanted her! It was only when Bruce interfered that she got away. But still…

He raised the disk in front of his face, inspecting in. It was so simplistic, and yet she had tried to kill him for it. Something told him he would be needing it again.

* * *

 _ **Addendum: You know, Huygen's Principle. If you don't already know what it is, you might as well jump out of that window right now.**_

 _ **Also, arguing with your elders, Jason? That's a-paddlin'.**_


	6. Chapter 6 - A Two-Faced Deal

With a forceful shove, the hooligan was forced into the cell. He turned around and glared at the red-clad boy standing on the other side of the bars, holding the cell door.

"You must really think you're hot shit, huh?" he snarled.

"Yup," Robin replied before slamming the door. He turned and made his way out of the GCPD. He passed an officer who was writing a form at a chipped wooden desk. "Thanks, Robin. That's one less we have to worry about," she said.

"Hey, don't mention it," Robin responded with a dismissive wave of his hand. He was about to pass through the exit when the officer called out again.

"Oh, hold on." Robin stopped, his hand still on the door. "We received a report from Blackgate an hour ago: the Riddler's got out. He's, uh, he's probably around Gotham somewhere.

"Perfect," Robin sighed. "I'll tell the big man, and we'll get to it." He pushed through the door before the officer could respond. Out in front of the police department was a large black vehicle. Robin hopped up into the Batmobile's passenger seat. The seat was less like that in a car and more like that in a fighter jet, in that it was located behind the driver.

"Any updates?" Batman asked as soon as Robin took his seat.

"Well, Nygma's out and about again," Robin said, flicking a stray speck of dirt off of his shoulder. "The security at Blackgate can't do their jobs for shit. Otherwise these criminals wouldn't be popping back out like this."

"They're doing their best," Batman countered.

"Their 'best' keeps putting lives in danger, and keeps our hands full," Robin replied. "Honestly, it feels like we're not even making a difference when we throw them in prison. What's the point?"

"We're making sure they face justice under the law."

"The law? Its form of justice isn't doing enough! These criminals deserve far worse!" Robin drew in a sharp breath. He knew Bruce hated this kind of talk. "Okay, okay. Forget it. So what's next?" He felt the Batmobile roar to life. His back pressed against the seat as the vehicle sped forward.

"I've got a lead on Dent's whereabouts. He's holding a meeting in the penthouse of the Duvale," Batman explained as he steered the Batmobile under an abandoned bridge.

"I always figured that place was shady. So what's the meeting about?"

"Not sure. But expect the place to be heavily guarded. Dent doesn't like visitors."

"They never do."

It had been nearly three weeks, and they had seen neither hide nor hair of their little thief. That didn't mean that the two hadn't been busy. Gotham was filled to the brim with full-time criminals, so crime never slept. At least today, they might be able to take out Two Face. With him behind bars, a significant blow would be dealt to the city's crime rate… well, at least until his next breakout.

It was then that Robin felt the Batmobile skid to a stop. "This is as far as I'm taking the Batmobile," he heard Bruce say over the intercom. "We'll have to travel to the Duvale by foot. Dent won't see us coming that way."

"Not that his eyesight is the best, anyway," Robin replied as they hopped out of the vehicle. "You think he can see out of that eye? The screwed up one?"

"Yes," Batman replied. "When we get to the Duvale, find a way up to the penthouse from the outside of the building. I'll work my way up through the floors."

What could be worse? Having to deal with floors and floors of armed guards, or scaling up the side of a building with hundreds of feet between you and the ground? Robin nodded. "Sounds good," he replied. Then, he raised an arm and shot out his grapple. It pulled him onto the rooftop of a nearby building. As he flew up, he caught his reflection in the building's large, reflective windows. Damn, that uniform looked good on him.

Perched on the edge of the roof, Robin spied the Duvale. Its height, and its flashy, urbanized look made it stand out. But then again, everything in this sector of Gotham reeked of money. And like flies to exposed meat, crime bosses flocked here.

There was no time to reflect. Robin shot out his grapple once more and latched onto another building. As he traversed the rooftops, his earpiece crackled to life.

"Robin, I've managed to hack into one of the phones in the penthouse. It'll be able to pick up and transmit any sound near it. We'll be able to listen in on this meeting," Batman said. Immediately after, Robin could hear the sounds from the hacked phone. In it, Two Face was having a conversation with someone.

"—How someone like you can get your hands on money like this? Indulge me, darling. I'm just curious," Two Face said. The audio was quite fuzzy and faint.

"I sell tech," a voice replied. Robin dropped from his glide onto a building that was right next to the Duvale. He looked up with surprise at the penthouse above him.

"Batman, that voice!" he exclaimed.

"What is it?"

"That's her. The thief."

There was a pause. "Are you sure?" Batman replied.

"Completely! I heard her talk that night; it's definitely her!" Robin grappled onto one of the Duvale's balconies and climbed onto it. He stood on the railing and grabbed a window ledge, quickly climbing up the building's side.

"Now we know why she stole from us," Batman said. Then, Two Face began talking again.

"You? You sell tech? What kind, exactly?"

"I take things, dismantle them, and build schematics based off of them," the girl's voice replied. She was sounding a little impatient.

"Is that right? I don't suppose you built that suit yourself?" The question was met by silence. "You know, you remind me of that Batgirl. Except you're not goody two-shoes. No, you're not afraid to get your hands dirty." There was a clinking noise, most likely Two Face's coin. "So I suppose you're here about those files, aren't you?" Files? What were they talking about?

"That's what I'm paying you for," the girl replied.

Suddenly there was a slam of someone hitting a desk. "Let's get _one thing_ straight here!" Two Face roared. Robin flinched at the sudden volume change. "You don't talk to me like I'm some kind of stinking mercenary filth, all right? You're in _my_ domain, in _my_ presence, so you'll show a little respect. Or…" There was a _pink pink_ _pink_ as Two Face tapped his coin on the desk. "… Something in your fate might go a little awry."

There was a heavy lull. "So I take it we don't have a deal?"

"Now what makes you think that?" Two Face asked, his voice eerily pleasant. "You've come here with good money. And I have no use for the files anyway; they're encrypted as hell."

Intrigued by the conversation, Robin forgot to pay attention to where he placed his hand next. He reached out and took hold of a stray glass cup that had been placed on a balcony's ledge. He quickly caught himself with a hand, but the cup wobbled over the edge and fell. Robin cringed as he watched it topple through the air before smashing on the balcony below him. Then he saw the door to that balcony open.

Urgently, Robin scrambled up and over the ledge. As he landed on his feet, he suddenly looked to the glass door beside him. Behind it, returning his gaze was one of Two Face's henchmen, still frozen with shock.

Oh _shit_.

The henchmen's hand flew to his ear. Robin saw him yelling out a few words into his mouthpiece. Without a second thought, Robin charged forward and crashed through the glass door. As shards exploded in the air, he felt himself collide with the henchman. They both hit the ground. Quickly, Robin slammed his fist against the man's head, knocking him out. He raised his head and looked around. Luckily, the rest of the floor was empty. But the damage had already been done.

"Sir, Robin's just been spotted on the 14th floor!" he heard someone say through the hacked phone.

"What?" Two Face snapped. There was a huge rustling of movement. Heavy shuffling, and then the thud of a punch sounded. The girl cried out.

"If you think about going invisible again, I'll have my men light you up," Two Face snarled. "You conniving little bitch. I should have known you're working with the Bat." Robin looked up at the ceiling, feeling the dark anticipation of what he knew was going to happen next. The penthouse was still several stories up; he'd never make it in time!

"There he is!" Robin heard someone shout. He whirled around and saw a man with a gun pointed towards him. Before he could do anything, a dark shadow appeared behind the man. Two arms wrapped around the man's head and neck, yanking him back. The man struggled, but was quickly knocked out by a blow to the head.

Batman dropped the unconscious man. "Two Face is liable to kill her," he stated. "Get up to the penthouse. Fast." Robin raced back out onto the balcony and jumped up onto the next floor. Despite the urgent matter at hand, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. No doubt Bruce was going to drill him later for this.

"I was thinking about putting a bullet between your eyes," he heard Two Face say. "But then again, I'll let chance decide. Heads, I put a piece of lead in yours. Tails, you get to leave here." There was a soft sound as Two Face flipped his coin. The following few seconds were met with tense silence. "Well would you look at that," he mused. "Show her out of the building. But, ah, give her a little detour."

All of a sudden, there was a loud crash over his head. Robin looked up. He saw the sunlight being reflected off of the hundreds of shattered window shards, and a silver figure flying out the building amongst them. As he watched, she seemed to be falling in slow motion. Or maybe that was due to the huge amount of adrenaline coursing through him.

Robin scanned the area around him and did a few quick estimations. Then he shot his grapple out onto a neighboring building. The grapple's cord grew taut. He took a running leap off of the balcony and was pulled speedily through the air. As he flew, he reached out with an arm and caught the girl from her fall. The grapple pulled the both of them up the rest of the way to the rooftop. As Robin lifted her onto the roof, the girl's legs suddenly buckled. Instinctively, she reached out and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Hey!" he cried out, tightening his hold around her waist. "You okay?"

The girl pulled away from him and collapsed heavily onto the ground. She reached up and pulled her helmet off. Then she sat back, taking deep, shaky breaths. Robin found himself staring at her and the dark gold hair that spilled over her shoulders.

 _Whoa._

The girl coughed and leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees. Then, she climbed slowly to her feet. Placing the helmet back over her head, she turned to leave.

"You're welcome, you know," Robin called out.

The girl turned her head slightly to the side. "It's your fault I couldn't get out of there in the first place," she retaliated.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She turned to face him. "I couldn't phase because you took my suit's charger." With an annoyed sigh, she lowered her head. "Fuck this place. I'm out." She began to walk away.

"Do you want your disk thing back or not?" Robin asked. The girl stopped. "Because if you do, you might get it back if you stop by the hospital construction zone. Behind the Lexcorp billboard. Let's say… midnight?"

"You really expect me to trust you?" the girl asked cynically.

"Hey, I saved your life. That's reason enough."

"Fine," the girl said. "Have my charger." She took another step.

"Wait!" Robin said again. The girl threw her arms up.

"Are you going to let me leave?" she demanded. But Robin was certain he could detect a hint of laughter in her voice.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Specter."

"You know what I mean. Here, I'm Jason."

The girl crossed her arms and looked at him. There was a long pause. Robin wasn't sure if she would answer him.

"Jocelyn," she said softly. "See you around… And thank you, Jason." Then she disappeared.

Robin looked away. He did a quick fist pump. "Yes!" he hissed under his breath. Suddenly a voice spoke in his ear.

"Robin, I need a hand with Two Face. Where are you?" Batman asked.

"Give me a sec. I'm on my way."

* * *

 _ **Addendum: Jason, you dun goofed.**_

 _ **Also, I would like to again thank those who have reviewed my story. You know who you are. You are great. They are huge bursts of motivation and joy for me! And as always, enjoy!**_


	7. Chapter 7 - Like Peas and Carrots

It had been hours since the last worker left the site. Construction ended every day at exactly at five in the evening because people had complained about hearing the noise of the excavator at their dinner tables. Still, large spotlights beamed down on the site like floodlights at football fields. They lit up the zone, covering the ground with long, gangly shadows. A few security guards prowled the area, but Robin wasn't really concerned about them. They were mostly there to keep the homeless out and make sure no one sprayed graffiti on the half-finished buildings.

Robin leaned against the back of the billboard, dwelling in the long shadow it provided. He was turning the disk in his hands, trying to make sense of what it was. The thing was thin and about the same size as a quarter. In its center was a little hole. Other than that, it seemed pretty unimpressive.

It was then he heard the soft tapping of footsteps. He looked up and saw the Specter walking towards him, casual and uncloaked. She, like him, was still wearing her suit. In the dark, Robin noticed how the eyepieces on her helmet glowed a soft blue. He pushed himself off of the billboard as she stopped and crossed her arms.

"I was expecting you to be a little more sneaky," he commented.

The Specter shrugged. "What's the point?" she wondered out loud. "You'd still able to see me. By the way, how were you able to do that?"

Robin wagged a finger at her. "Ah, ah! That's a trade secret!"

The Specter exhaled loudly as she dropped her arms and placed her hands on her hips. Then, she extended a hand forward. "All right. Give me the charger." Robin held the disk out to her. He made it out as if he were about to drop the piece into her hand, but then quickly retracted it back.

"Now that I think about it, I want a few answers before I give this back to you," he said.

As he pulled the disk away, the Specter made a desperate grab for it, but missed. "You fuck!" she hissed. "I had half a mind to just kill you and take the charger, you know! You're lucky I decided to play along!"

"And you're lucky this wasn't just a ruse to trap you and throw you in jail," Robin shot back. Over his shoulder, he called out, "Isn't that right, Batman?" He saw the Specter tense and take a step back. "Relax, I'm just messing with you. Batman isn't here. He doesn't even know we're here."

"First question," the Specter demanded stonily.

"Wow, so pushy. Okay, first question." Robin flipped the disk and caught it like a coin. "What is this? No, I know what this is. It's a conductor that recharges your suit's energy and lets you do that weird 'go through' thing. Oh, but let me guess. That was supposed to be top secret, wasn't it?"

"I don't suppose you hopped onto Google and found that out?"

"You called it a 'charger.' You also told me you weren't able to phase out of the Duvale without it. It's also made out of a silicon alloy, like a semiconductor. I can put two and two together. I'm not just good-looking, you know."

"You've also got a really strong neck," the Specter noted.

"Huh?"

"It has to be. To support that big head."

Robin chuckled. "Ouch. I guess I walked right into that one. Okay, how about this one: What were you doing at the Duvale?"

The mood in the air suddenly changed. Robin saw the Specter's demeanor quickly shift to a reclusive one. "That's my business," she replied quietly.

He was all too familiar with her behavior. He wasn't going to get anything out of her on that subject. Well, unless he used excessive force. But of course he wasn't planning on doing that.

"I know how you and Batman feel about Two Face and anyone associated with him," the Specter continued. "But you have to know that I had no choice. And we're not exactly friends; he threw me out a window, remember?"

"No choice? Did you have no choice when you stole from us?" Robin prodded.

"I don't have any excuses for that," the Specter admitted. "I didn't want to sink that low. No… I know what you must think of me." Robin looked at her. She was staring across the construction site, avoiding his gaze. She sounded almost… sad.

He reached out and pulled one of her hands to him. The Specter looked at him with surprise. Robin pressed the disk into her palm and dropped his hands.

"Hey, it's cool," he offered. "We all fuck up sometimes, don't we? And frankly, being all prissy and law-abiding really just sucks."

The Specter looked down at the disk and closed her fist around it. She looked back up. "That's not something I'd expect to hear from Gotham's Boy Wonder," she mused.

"Eh, I'm not like Di—not like the first one," Robin confessed.

"The first one?" Specter repeated.

How did she not know about Dick Grayson? Bruce's first golden boy; the one who had set the standards for Robin so high that even now Jason was having a hard time reaching it. He needed to remember to thank Dick for that. With a slap to the head.

"You're new here, aren't you?" Robin surmised.

The Specter shrugged. "Maybe," she replied slyly. "But I knew about Gotham before I got here. I knew about Batman and… his little sidekick."

"That's _partner_ to you," Robin corrected. He was glad that she was starting to cheer up again. And he was also relieved that she hadn't run off the moment he gave back the disk.

"Hmm. If you insist," the Specter murmured. "So are you done with 20 questions, or should I expect to set up camp out here?"

"Just one left. There's more I'm dying to ask, but I can save those for later."

"Later, huh? I'm planning on upgrading my cloak."

"That won't really matter. See, my last question is: you wanna catch a movie sometime? Or…?" He trailed off.

The Specter treated the question with silence. Then, she crossed her arms and scoffed. "You're bold," she remarked.

"'Cause I'm cool with anything," Robin continued. "There's a new diner on 6th we can hit up. Or, if you're feeling a bit mischievous, I got a few cans and an unguarded overpass we can mark up."

This time, the Specter let out a wholehearted laugh. "You are insane," she chuckled. "I ought to punch you in the teeth. You're lucky you're cute." Robin suddenly saw her hands tighten. He felt her shock; it was as if she hadn't meant to say that last part out loud.

His eyebrows raised and he leaned towards her, tilting an ear forward. " _Oh really_?" he said in a drawn out voice.

The Specter let out a huff and began to march away. "You didn't hear anything," she insisted. Robin trailed her.

"Really? I don't know; robins have really good hearing."

"No they don't. You pulled that out of your ass."

Robin quickly caught her gently by the arm. "Hey, hold on! You didn't answer my question!" The Specter stopped and faced him. Before she could answer, however, a harsh voice barked out.

"Where do you think you're going, honey?"

Both of them looked down just in time to see a young woman hurrying underneath them, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. Following behind like a pack of lazy wolves was a group of five men. The woman passed under the billboard into a lit area. She shot the men a panicked glance over her shoulder.

"You think you're safe here?" one of the men mocked. "Bitch, there ain't anyone here!"

The woman pulled something out of her purse and held it with both of her hands. It was a phone.

"Put that away." The man's voice became sinister. He held a handgun and was pointing it at the girl. She stared at it with terrified eyes and obeyed. "Good. Now get over here, sweetheart. We just want to get to know ya." In tiny, desperate steps, she headed back to them.

"There's only five. One armed, four unarmed. I can take 'em," Robin whispered as he crouched on the edge.

"He's got a _gun_ ," the Specter pointed out. "Aren't there security guards here?"

"They're unreliable," Robin dismissed. "I can do this." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Specter kneel next to him. "We can do this," she corrected.

"They've got a gun," Robin reminded her.

"Which they'll shoot you with if you try anything," the Specter shot back. "They're in a well-lit, open area. You'll cast a shadow. I won't."

"Then what do you want to do?"

"I'll take out the gunner. As soon as I take him out, you can jump in," she planned.

"But I want the gunner."

The Specter shot him a glare. "What are you, fucking five?"

"Fine, fine, take the gunner!" Robin sighed. The girl had nearly reached the men. "Better hurry up, buttercup."

"Don't call me that."

"Whatever you say, princess."

"I'm going to give you such a beating after this."

Robin flashed her a wink. "Sounds fun."

The Specter rested a hand against her helmet. "Jesus Christ," she exclaimed. "Just be ready, okay?" Without another word, she dropped from the billboard's platform. Before she hit the ground, she vanished into thin air. Robin rested a hand on his knee as he watched. The girl had stopped by the men. Even from where he was, Robin could see her shaking.

One of the men grabbed her wrist. "Now let's take a little trip," he suggested sweetly. Another man shot a look over his shoulder. "Hey, what the fuck was that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I thought I heard someone whispering behind me."

"Dude, shut the fuck up. That's creepy."

Suddenly there was a sharp cackle. The men whirled around, trying to find the source of the noise. The gunman's head jerked back as though something had caught him by the neck. He was pulled back and dragged, screaming out. The other thugs dissolved into a panicked mess. A person with any sense would have ran, but, well… "Holy shit!" they cried. "It's a demon! It's a fucking devil monster!"

The gunman stopped. Then, a silver figure materialized above him. "Close," she said before punching his head.

Robin dropped down and quickly entered the fray. As one of the thugs noticed him, he elbowed them hard in the gut. The thug buckled over. Robin brought his fist up and caught the thug's head as it came down. The man's head slammed back, and he collapsed onto the ground.

Robin whirled around and ducked as another man threw a fist at him. He came back up behind the man and grabbed his arm. He smashed the shoulder and felt it dislocate under his hand. The man let out a howl of pain. Robin released him and sent him flying with a kick square in the back.

"I'll skin you, bitch!" a voice roared. Robin turned to a fourth man confronting the Specter with a knife in hand. The Specter raised a hand and beckoned him over. He lunged at her with the blade.

In a flash, she knocked the knife away with a hook kick. As she came around from the kick, she raised her other leg and caught the man's neck in the nook of her knee. She dipped down into a handstand and threw the man over her.

Robin let out a low whistle. He stooped down and picked up the knife that had landed by his feet. "Damn, that was hot," he noted. The Specter shook her head. "Really, you—." Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her neck and yanked her back. The last thug pulled her against him and pressed the barrel of the gun against the side of her helmet.

"Whoa, whoa!" Robin said, holding the knife in front of him. But he was too far from them.

"You want me, you're gonna have to go through her!" the man barked, taking another step back and dragging the Specter with him.

Robin gripped the blade at its base. He could aim for the thug's gun arm, but he might discharge a bullet out of shock. It was then he saw one of the Specter's hands flash a thumbs-up.

"Sure," he replied coyly. In an instant, he launched the knife. It flipped through the Specter and sank deep into the man's shoulder, causing him to fall back. The Specter stumbled forward through his arm and whirled around. She looked at the knife, and the red that began to grow around it. "You…" she stammered.

Robin caught her by the arm and pulled her away from the wounded man. "He'll be fine," he insisted. He spotted the young woman huddled on the ground. Walking to her, he knelt down. "There's a security post over there behind that crane," he told her, pointing. "Go there and tell them we've got five wounded criminals here." He stood up as the girl scampered away.

"So what do we do now?" the Specter asked.

"The usual. Vanish into the night and let the police clean this up," Robin answered casually.

"Huh. Okay then." The Specter turned to leave. She gave Robin a quick glance. "Gotham Espress-O. 2:30. You may or may not see me again." Then she disappeared.

* * *

 _ **Addendum: Sorry for the extremely late update. I had family over these past few days.**_

 _ **Also, Robin really likes throwing knives at people. But then again, who doesn't? Amirite? Guys?**_

 _ **In other news, I'm making a cover for this story. It'll have the Specter on it. I'll finish it and put it up whenever I decide to get my head out of my ass. Not sure when that'll happen, though.**_


	8. Chapter 8 - Late For the Date

His eyes opened into slivers and he groaned gently. Was it morning already? Something told him it was too early to start functioning. Yup, definitely too early. Jason closed his eyes and felt himself sink back into groggy bliss.

Suddenly another barrage of knocks erupted at his door. Jason's body gave a jolt. He sat up, his joints feeling like lead.

"Muh?" he groaned, rubbing an eye with his palm. The door opened, and light poured in. No, not the sunlight! Go away!

"My apologies, Master Todd," he heard Alfred say as he entered the room. "But Master Grayson is on the phone. He wishes to speak with you." He placed the phone on the nightstand, and then rested something on the covers over Jason's legs.

"What's that?" Jason mumbled as he took the phone.

"The Gotham Gazette, sir. You might find it quite interesting. Breakfast will be ready when you get up." With that, Alfred slipped out of the room and closed the door behind him. Letting out a huff, Jason fell back onto the pillow and rested the phone against his ear.

"What's up, little man?" he heard a cheery, familiar voice greet him on the other end.

"I was sleeping," Jason replied grumpily.

"I know," Dick replied. "Alfred wanted me to call back, but I explicitly told him to wake you up."

"Asshole."

"Aw, poor sleepy weepy! Did wittle baby not clock in his eight hours? I wonder why! Maybe itty bitty Jason was too busy being a man!" Jason's eyes opened. What was that supposed to mean?

"Actually, when I first heard about you making the front page, I was a little worried. Knowing you," Dick continued. "But this? This is just hilarious. You're so adorable."

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

"Alfred gave you a copy of this morning's paper, right? I'm surprised you haven't looked at it yet."

Jason propped himself up with an arm and slowly pushed himself back up into a sitting position, bringing the phone with him. "No, I'm a little slow this morning. I think it has something to do with hearing your voice and my brain cells dying." He grabbed the newspaper and pulled it closer to him. The room was too dark to read it. Jason looked over his shoulder and reached out to pull the curtains open a crack. He glanced back down at the newspaper and read the large, bold print that jumped out at him.

"GOTHAM'S BOY WONDER: FROM ROBIN TO LOVEBIRD?"

Beneath the headline were a few columns of text. But what caught Jason's eyes immediately were the two black and white pictures that were nestled within the text. They were shots of yesterday's little event at the Duvale; namely, after things had gone to shit. One picture showed Robin seconds after he had caught the Specter out of the air. The second one was much larger. They were shown on the rooftop. Jason remembered that moment: it had been when the Specter had buckled and grabbed him for support. But… at that angle, it definitely looked as if they were embracing.

"What the…" Jason muttered incredulously.

"Jason and strange girl sitting on a roof," Dick said in a teasing tone. "K-I-S—wait, that doesn't rhyme. Well, you get the point."

Jason let out a breathy laugh and tossed the newspaper aside. "Hey, you're just jealous," he said. "All your years in the hero business and you've never scored like I have."

"What, you think you can do better than me?"

"Already have," Jason replied smugly. "Guess who I'm meeting later today?"

"What? Fuck you," Dick said with a chuckle. "Well just be careful, man. Those hero chicks can get real conceited. Take this one; apparently she thought she could take Two Face on her own."

"Take on Two Face? Is that what the article says? Man, Dick, you should know better than to trust the papers these days. She was trying to make a deal with Two Face. Oh, and the money she tried to use was made by stealing from the Batcave."

There was silence on the other end. Finally, Dick said, "And you asked her out?" He chortled. "Sounds like you. Chasing after the bad girls."

"She's not…" Jason began, but trailed off. He looked back down at the newspaper, at the rooftop picture. "She's not bad, Dick."

"Is that right? I guess a sea lion would see nothing wrong with a seal. Well, at least the paper got _something_ right."

"What?"

"You, dummy. You're completely twitterpated."

"I'm twitter—what?"

"You…" Dick's voice became faint. "You've never seen Bambi? You uncultured swine." Suddenly, there was a loud buzz on his end. "Well! Gotta go; duty calls! Tell you what, maybe I'll drop into Gotham some time and you can introduce me to that gal of yours."

Jason grinned at the remark, even though he knew Dick wouldn't be able to tell. "No. You stay away from her."

"Oh, afraid that I'm the smoother ladies' man?" He let out a warm laugh. "Kidding. All right, talk to you later, Jay."

"Bye, Dick." No sooner had he pressed the disconnect button, his head hit the pillow and he was fast asleep.

It hardly felt like a second had passed and Jason felt himself being gently shaken awake. He let out a stifled grunt into the pillow and felt his breath warm up the cloth.

"Master Todd? Master Todd, it is high time you arose," he heard Alfred say as the butler gave his shoulder another nudge. Jason didn't move. "Sir, I do believe you have an appointment with a young lady at half past two today. It would behoove you to check the current time." How Alfred knew about his date with Jocelyn was beyond him. But that's what made Alfred, well, Alfred.

Jason lifted his woozy face from the pillow and squinted at the alarm clock. His eyes popped wide open when he saw the LED numbers 2:20 shine back at him.

"Oh shit, shit!" he cried as he leaped out of bed.

"Mind your words if you will, young man. Women usually don't appreciate an ill-fitted tongue," Alfred lectured as the boy dashed out of the room.

* * *

Gotham Espress-O was one of the lesser-known cafes in the city, mainly due to the fact that there were so many bigger brand names to compete with. In fact, as Jason took a glance at it before walking in, it looked like a mom and pop place. There were still quite a few customers inside. It took Jason a few seconds to spot her. She was sitting at a table by the large window, resting a cheek against her propped arm. Her eyes were lowered to the phone in her hand, and a drink rested beside her. It was probably one of those strange coffees that had eighty words in its name. He noticed, with an internal cringe, that it was already mostly gone.

Jason dug his hands into his pockets and sauntered over. As he took his seat across from her, Jocelyn's eyes flickered upwards to him. She turned the phone face down and placed it on the table. There was an uncomfortable silence as she took another sip of the drink.

Flashing a cocky grin, Jason greeted, "Hey there, gorgeous."

Jocelyn sat back, draping an arm over the back of her chair and holding the drink by its rim. She regarded him with a flat smile. "So we're going to pretend the last 20 minutes didn't happen?" she asked. Of course it wasn't going to be that easy. Jason's hands began to grow a little clammy.

"Well, I…" he began uneasily.

Jocelyn placed the cup down. Her smile became warm. "Oh please," she said. "Yeah, you messed up. But I'm not going to get upset over a little thing like that. Now I can't remember exactly who told me this, but we all fuck up sometimes, right?"

Relieved, Jason leaned forward and rested his forearms on the table. "Whoever said that must have been real smart. And handsome. And awesome."

"Okay, you can stop now," Jocelyn said. The phone on the table buzzed with an incoming text. Jason glanced down at it, but Jocelyn ignored it. "Sorry for being rude, but you look like you just got out of bed." The phone buzzed again.

Was it really that noticeable? He felt bad, comparing himself with Jocelyn in her sleeveless top and earrings. "Um, yeah. That's exactly it," he admitted sheepishly.

"I guess that little scuffle last night tuckered you out," Jocelyn mused. Another buzz. "But what do you know? I kinda like that look on you. It seems today I've found out that I have a weakness for dark, messy hair."

"That right?" Jason ran a hand through his hair. He was glad that he had ignored Alfred insistence on using a comb.

"Mmm," Jocelyn answered as she watched him ruffle his hair. The phone buzzed two more times. Jason's eyes returned to it.

"Someone trying to reach you?" he wondered.

"No." Jocelyn took the phone and slipped it out of view. Jason caught the name 'Verl' on the screen. "Someone's trying to be funny." Then she laced her fingers together and rested her chin on them. "So, Jason. This is a first date, which means we're obliged to tell each other about ourselves. Go on."

"Ladies first."

Jocelyn gave him a look. "Fine," she agreed. "My name is Jocelyn Drei. Sometimes I'm a normal girl, sometimes I like to pretend to be a spooky scary ghost."

"That's something I bet your folks didn't expect from you."

Jocelyn wiggled the straw in her drink, her eyes growing distant. "Actually, I don't know who my parents are," she answered quietly. "I have no memories of them whatsoever."

"Then where did you grow up?" Jason asked.

"I moved around a lot. Verlix took care of me."

"Verlix? That's a strange name."

"It's very befitting of him," Jocelyn said with a small smile. Jason noticed that she appeared to be watching his face nervously. When their eyes met, she lowered hers. "Sorry," she apologized. "It's just that when I mention that I don't know my parents, people get weirded out."

"I'm not like that. I didn't really know my dad," Jason offered. "And, well… my mom died when I was young."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Jocelyn said.

"It's all right. Someone found me and took care of me too. Well, look at that. We've got similar upbringings, and we both kick ass. We got more in common than I thought."

"I suppose," Jocelyn said. "Except I've never sprayed graffiti before."

"Oh, it's a blast. You wanna go and try it?"

A wave of excitement passed over Jocelyn's face. She quickly tried to suppress it as she cleared her throat. Then, a childish smile crept back onto her face. "Sure, why the hell not?" she agreed.

"That's what I'm talking about." They both stood and left the table. As they exited through the door, the woman behind the counter called out, "See ya, Jo!"

Jason found himself out onto the bustling streets of Gotham again. The afternoon was melting into evening, and the roads were jam-packed with cars trying to return home. Jocelyn stood beside him.

"Jo?" he repeated, looking at her. "Hmm… Jo. That's cute. Can I call you that?"

Jocelyn shrugged playfully as she took his hand and began leading him down the sidewalk. "I'm not stopping you."

His heart skipped a beat. You're in the green, Jason! Go for it! In a brazen burst, he pulled his hand away and instead wrapped his arm around her waist. Jocelyn responded by pressing closer to him. Jason's insides felt fuzzy, and he hoped that his face wasn't as red as it felt.

Holy hell, I am the man, totally the man. Dick was right. I'm completely fucking tatterpitted.

* * *

 _ **Addendum: Cover pic is finally up. Yes, those distortions were made by hand. Yes, it was painful. But I like it, and I hope you like it too. However, FFN has been pretty glitchy lately in that cover pics will occasionally disappear. Hopefully that will stop soon. Get your act together, FFN.**_

 _ **Also, don't be misled. Even though Jo was chill with it, showing up late for dates is pretty rude. Don't do it.**_

 _ **Tatterpitted.**_


	9. Chapter 9 - Verlix

A few sparks exploded from the cigarette butt as it hit the pavement. A thin smoke trail wheezed from the decaying embers. He crushed it under his foot and grinded it against the ground. Then he raised his head back up and stared down the dark entrance, hands nestled in his pockets. The wide entrance of the abandoned tunnel stood before him. Honestly, when Jo had told him that they were going someplace special, he wasn't expecting this.

A gentle patter told him someone was approaching. Jason looked over his shoulder. Jocelyn replied with a light smile. "Yeah, yeah," she said. "Go on and say it."

"I didn't realize you knew where the boogeyman lived," Jason remarked, looking back at the darkness.

"Perfect place for a ghost, huh?"

"Yeah, uh… I feel like we're going to go in there and never come back out." Jason turned back to her. The sight of Jocelyn made him feel playful. Reaching out, he took her hands and leaned towards her.

Instantly, she withdrew back. "Really?" she said.

"What?"

"You just finished another one, didn't you? You absolutely _reek_ , Jason! I could smell you from a mile away." Jocelyn pulled her hands out of his. "No way I'm getting near that mouth." She headed into the tunnel. With a sigh, Jason followed after her.

"Well sorry, babe. I'll bring mints if it bothers you so much."

"You could jump into a tub of peppermint extract and still come out smelling like burnt ass," Jocelyn countered. She slowed down to let Jason catch up and took his hand. "I didn't mean… Seriously, Jason, those things are bad for you."

"Oh I've seen the commercials. 'Cigarettes are _so_ evil.' Yeah fucking right."

"Not to mention the outrageous sin tax Gotham charges for them," Jocelyn pointed out.

"I like to think of it as one of my many contributions to society," Jason said.

"You should also think of how I'm never going to kiss you again."

"Don't be like that."

"I'm gonna."

First Barbara, and now her. Why did all the women in his life have to be so goddamn stubborn? Anyway, there was no point in arguing.

Jason looked down at his feet. The stretched shadow in front of him was growing dimmer and dimmer as they continued down the tunnel. He could barely see anything around him. The only things he was sure of were the ground underneath his feet and the warm hand he was holding on to.

"Right here," Jocelyn suddenly instructed. Jason could barely make out her outline as she faced the closest wall and reached out, running her hand along the surface.

"Wish you'd touch me like that," he teased. Suddenly Jocelyn's arm tensed. She pulled a piece of the wall open.

"Careful what you wish for," she said. A soft blue light emanated from the newly opened chamber. The light illuminated Jocelyn's face as she leaned forward. A flat light swooped over her eye, and then the machine chirped. A sharp hissing sound came from the wall beside the scanner as a large door slid open.

"Hmm. Didn't expect that," Jason noted as he peered through the door. Beyond was a stairwell that led down to a faint light source.

Jocelyn held an arm out towards the door in a dramatic gesture. "Welcome to the Specter's lair," she announced with a laugh.

"Apartment wasn't enough, huh?" They went down the steps. Behind them, the hidden door slid close.

When they reached the end of the stairs, Jason looked up and found himself in an expansive room. It looked like a mix between a living space and a laboratory. A small cot and furniture sat among large machinery, monitors, and glass chambers. Jason spotted the Specter's suit resting inside of one of the chambers.

At the head of the room was what could only be described as a huge supercomputer. It wasn't much taller than the Bat computer, but it stretched across the entire room.

"This… Man, this is just…"

"To be honest," Jocelyn spoke up, "you're the first person I've brought down here. It feels kind of weird. But at least now you'll get to meet—."

Suddenly a loud siren blared. Red and white lights flashed around the room. Jason jumped, while Jocelyn covered her face with both hands.

"Alert! Alert!" a male voice blasted. The voice surrounded the room as if it were being spoken through a PA system. "Intruder detected! Intruder detected! Lethal force will be used! Acquiring target… target acquired!" A harsh beam of light hit Jason. He flinched and shielded his eyes. "Firing penis-shrinking ray in three… two…"

" _Verlix!_ " Jocelyn snapped.

"… On—Yes, Jo?" In an instant, the siren and flashing lights ceased. Jason lowered his arm.

"Oh my god… you told me you wouldn't!" Jocelyn accused.

"My apologies," the voice replied in a much calmer tone. "I just couldn't resist."

"What the hell was that? Who's there?" Jason demanded, blinking his blinded eyes. There was a searing white fog in his vision from the beam. He felt Jocelyn rest a hand on his arm.

"Jason, you just met Verlix."

"Met? I didn't see anyone! He just blinded me and threatened to shoot me with a— _what was it?_ "

"Ugh, Jo," Verlix sighed bitterly. "Do you hear him? I really wish you hadn't chosen a whiner."

"Verlix, please!"

"Where are you, huh?" Jason snapped. His vision was slowly clearing. He took a step forward and looked around. "Quit messing around! Come out and face me like a man!"

There was a chuckle. "Like a man? That's rich." To Jocelyn, he said, "You didn't tell him?"

"No. I wanted him to see it for himself."

"See what?" Jason growled.

Jocelyn walked in front of Jason and turned to face him. "I'm really sorry about what just happened," she said. "He just has a… peculiar kind of humor. Anyway, let's see if I can do anything about this sinking ship." With a deep breath, she continued, "Verlix, this is Jason. And Jason…" She stepped to the side and gestured to the supercomputer. "… This is Verlix."

Jason stared at the machine. "Uhhh…" A few possibilities came to mind on what this was all about, but he was still wondering which one to believe.

"He's an AI," Jocelyn clarified. Right. AI. That had been at the bottom of his 'believable' list.

"You know, when you mentioned Verlix, I was kind of thinking of like a father-figure."

"That's exactly what he is." Jocelyn smiled gently at the computer. "He's taken care of me my whole life. Here." She tugged at him and directed him towards a glass chamber that was built into the wall. Behind the glass stood a huge android. It was tall, and its appearance looked a bit blocky and antiquated. It had obviously been built a long time ago. "This was his first body. When I was a kid, he took care of me like this." Jason spotted the faded doodles of flowers and spirals on the android's arms and head.

"Then what's he doing back there?"

"He left this body a while ago, and downloaded himself into that mainframe. He uses this whenever we move, though."

"Who made him?" Jason wondered. And why go through all the trouble of creating an AI to raise a child?

"Verlix says it was my mother," Jocelyn answered. "Before I was born, she programmed him to take care of me."

"I do not think we should be telling him this," Verlix cut in. Jocelyn turned around to face the computer.

"It's okay. We've been together for a few months now; I think he should know."

"Fine. You're right, Jo. In a meaningful relationship, you two should be completely honest with each other. And… oh, how interesting! You should be a little more honest yourself, Mr. Todd!" A screen lit up. It showed a police report with Jason's picture. "Have you told Jo about this? Hmm, this seems to be about an account of vandalism. Or this?" Another screen lit up with another report. "Disturbance of the peace. Looks like you couldn't keep your fists to yourself. Oh, and another!" Another screen. "Underage possession of tobacco. Charming. And these were all cited while you were supposed to be Gotham's 'Boy Wonder.' Of course, the police are none the wiser to this little irony."

Yikes. Verlix definitely had the over-protective, overbearing father role down to pat. "And I suppose you did a bit of digging to find my identity?"

"No. Facial recognition, Mr. Todd," Verlix answered simply. "A pair of shades hides your face better than that silly little mask does."

"You can just call me Jason."

"I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Todd."

"This is ridiculous!" Jocelyn cried, marching over to the monitors.

"You're telling me," Verlix mumbled.

"No, I'm talking about _you_ , Verlix!" Jocelyn snapped as she pushed buttons on the computer, shutting off all monitors. "I brought him here so you could meet him, not antagonize him!"

"I did not fabricate these reports, if that's what you're thinking."

"People make mistakes! And my hands aren't exactly clean either!"

"That is different. We had no choice. These? These are just stupid."

Jocelyn let out a huff. Without turning around, she asked, "You ready, Jason?"

"Sure."

"Good. She whirled around, and the two of them began to head back to the stairs. "Later, Verlix."

"Where are you going?"

"Out."

"In that case, I expect you to bring her back to her apartment no later than midnight. Otherwise, Mr. Todd, I will find you and annihilate you. Darling, a word?" Verlix ordered. Jocelyn stopped. She gave Jason a little push. "I'll meet you outside," she told him. Then, she faced the computer, crossing her arms. Jason gave the both of them a backwards glance as he climbed the steps and exited the chamber.

"I—."

"You're going to apologize to him later," Jocelyn interrupted.

"Later," Verlix said. There was a heavy pause. Jocelyn drummed her fingers against her arm. "I don't like him."

"You couldn't have made that more clear."

"The only reason I'm not stopping you from seeing him is because he saved your life. And…" His voice became very gentle, much like the voice she remembered in her childhood. "He makes you very happy. I can see that."

Jocelyn's face softened. "He's not replacing you, Verl."

"Nothing can," Verlix replied lightly. "Go on, then. Go back to your trashy prince charming."

* * *

 _Several months later…_

"Encrypted files? That sounds like something Ms. Gordon should handle," Alfred suggested as he peered over Batman's shoulder at the Bat computer.

"That's why I'm here, Alfred," a voice answered. Batgirl emerged from the dark and stopped beside them, resting her hands on her hips.

"Ah, Ms. Gordon! Care for a spot of tea? Or perhaps a small bite to eat?"

"No thanks," Batgirl replied. "Bruce and I are about to head out."

Alfred looked from Batgirl to Batman, who was prepping his gauntlet. "I wasn't aware there were any disturbances tonight. Out for another patrol?"

"Not quite, Alfred," Batman answered. "It's about those files I told you about. They've been circulating around the Gotham underground. Right now, Nygma has them. He's taken their unbreakable reputation as a challenge."

"I see. And what about these files is so special, aside from their impeccable security?"

Remember the Duvale?" Batman recalled. "About a year ago."

Alfred took a moment to recount that event. "Ah, yes. That was when Master Todd met that lady friend of his."

"Speaking of him," Batgirl cut in. "Where is he? Shouldn't he be here too?"

"Master Todd spent the evening with Ms. Drei. Inseparable, those two. She's even come along on a few missions before. I tell you, it's been a whole year and he's still as smitten as ever. For the better, at least. She managed to break that ghastly smoking habit of his," Alfred mused.

"But it's pretty late," Batgirl pointed out.

"That's a good point," Alfred agreed. "Perhaps I should call him?"

"You best not, Alfred," Batman objected as he donned on his helmet. "He's… uh, planning to spend the night with her."

At first, Alfred didn't quite understand. Then, his eyebrows rose. " _Oh_. Oh my."

"Yeah."

"They grow up so fast, don't they?"

"You could say that."

Batgirl glanced between them with a slight frown. "What are you ta—?"

"What about the Duvale, Master Bruce?" Alfred interjected quickly.

"The Specter held an audience when Two Face for those files," Batman explained. "She risked her life for them. And now every criminal in Gotham wants them."

"Why?" Batgirl inquired. "What could they possibly be?"

Batman turned briskly, his cape sweeping the floor around his feet. He marched towards the Batmobile. Its windshield slid open to expose the cockpit. "Plans," he answered, "for a secret weapon."

* * *

 _ **Addendum: His wish finally came true. Oh my, indeed.**_

 _ **Also, screw shotgun threats. Verlix is above that. He will straight up obliterate your existence.**_


	10. Chapter 10 - Not Normal Enough

He was quiet as she wrapped the gauze over the long cut that ran over her shoulder. There was no scolding. No lectures. That was bad.

Every movement Jocelyn made hurt like hell, but she had to stop the bleeding. Finally, she secured the bandages with a knot and let her hands drop onto her lap. Her eyes flickered up to the computer, but she quickly looked away. Her legs dangled over the edge of the old operating table.

"They weren't there," she said, breaking the silence. "But I know they're still in Gotham."

He didn't answer at first. "You got lucky," he finally replied. "You could've ended up with something that gauze won't fix."

"But—."

"Are those files _that_ important to you?" Verlix demanded, his voice growing heated. "Do you want to open Pandora's box so badly you'd risk life and limb for it? In case you've forgotten, I was created to protect you. And right now, you're making it very difficult for me!"

"I know what you're programmed for!" Jocelyn snapped back. "Every time I fuck up, you don't waste time reminding me!" She pushed herself off of the table. "At least you know what you're for! What you are!" With both hands, she gestured towards herself. "Do you think this is normal, Verl? Do you think ordinary people can just do _this_?" She cloaked, and then reappeared. "And _you_ won't tell me! All I know is that I'm not normal! Moving across states and across countries every few months is not normal! Having parents who left me with an AI is not _normal_!" Jocelyn made her way over to and slumped on the couch. She sat back and gingerly touched her bandages. "I was so close. Those files, they'll tell me who I am."

"You appear to be in distress," Verlix noted. There it was. One of those little reminders that Verlix was merely flexible lines of code, and not a thinking, feeling human.

"Do I?" Jocelyn scoffed.

"I had hoped that you were satisfied with what you had," Verlix said. "And when he came along, I had hoped that he would take your mind off of these little demons in your life."

The mention of him depressed Jocelyn even more. It had been a while since she had spoken to Jason. He had been caught up in other business. In his absence, she had resumed her search for the files on her own.

"I am happy, Verl," she said. "Most days, it's not hard to keep my chin up. But it's an innate desire; it's something human. I have to know who I am."

"As should be expected," Verlix admitted. "People are ever craving to _know_. Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent the first men across the sea, or to the Moon." To Jocelyn, he almost sounded… tired. "Gone are the days when I had to tail your steps to make sure you wouldn't fall, or when I had to stay on high alert when you fell ill. My purpose is fulfilled; what am I to do now?"

"I'm still a child," Jocelyn murmured.

"Biologically, you are not."

"There you go again, Verl."

Well, it was getting late. The wound on her shoulder still hurt, but the pain was slowly ebbing away. After today's endeavors, Jocelyn found herself quite exhausted. Maybe it was time to call it a day. Those files weren't going anywhere any time soon. Jocelyn lifted her legs and rested them on the couch. She tucked an arm under her head. Through drooped eyes, she saw Verlix dim the lights.

Suddenly, the lights on the computer lit up. "What the hell?" she heard Verlix exclaim. Jocelyn opened her eyes and lifted her head. "What's up?"

"Someone just… someone just came in!" the AI responded, sounding flustered. The overhead lights brightened again. "They just bypassed the retina scanner!"

Jocelyn inhaled deeply and rested her head down again. "About time," she mumbled.

"What was that?"

"I bet he's stopped by to check on me. Probably freaked when he couldn't find me at the apartment."

"Who… _Jocelyn Drei_!" Verlix accused. "You gave Mr. Todd access to the retina scanner?"

"Mmhm," Jocelyn mumbled, closing her eyes. "It took a while too. The big baby wouldn't hold still long enough. I was tempted to go all Clockwork Orange on him." Verlix said nothing as the sound of descending steps echoed in the chamber. Jocelyn kept her eyes closed, but heard someone approach her. "So what's this all about?" she asked. "Not a single call or text in days."

"He's been busy," a deep voice answered. Jocelyn's eyes flew open. Looming above her was a huge, black silhouette with pointed ears. She let out a shriek and bolted upwards. Batman took a step back.

"I didn't mean to startle you. Are you okay?" he asked.

Jocelyn put a hand over her chest. "I might need a defibrillator," she wheezed.

"No need. Your BPM has only increased by 30 percent," Verlix piped up. Another, smaller figure appeared beside Batman. "Way to go," Jason remarked. Both were costumed. Jocelyn let out a breath and leaned back on the couch. Batman turned away and faced the computer. "Verlix," he addressed.

"Batman," the AI replied. "It's an honor."

Jason looked down at Jocelyn and noticed her bandages. He plopped down on the couch beside her. "You all right?" he asked. "Did you dress it with antibiotics and stuff? I don't think Croc cleans those claws." He reached towards the bandages.

Jocelyn pushed his hand away. "I'm fine," she defended. "Anyway, you don't need to worry about me. You're supposed to be busy forgetting about me, remember?"

"Aw, so you've missed me?" Jason scooted closer.

Jocelyn crossed her arms. "No," she mumbled. She felt him take her cheek and tilt her face back to him. He leaned in.

"I missed you too." He pressed his lips to hers. Jocelyn lowered her arms. Even after all this time, he still knew how to make her heart go aflutter. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled in closer.

" _Kids_!" a rough voice barked. They quickly withdrew from each other. "None of that bullshit here," Verlix growled. "That's what the apartment's for. I swear, it hasn't been a minute and they're all over each other."

"Verl! Come on!" Jocelyn protested. "I haven't seen him in ages!"

"I suggest you brush up on what the definition of 'ages' means, darling," Verlix retaliated. "And this is my house. My rules. And rule number one, Mr. Todd: you get your hands off of her, or you best start praying to whatever deity you believe in." Jason shifted away from Jocelyn in defeat. He caught what could almost be a hint of a grin on Batman's face. Before he could get a better look, his mentor turned back to the computer. While Verlix's attention was diverted, Jocelyn sneaked a quick peck on Jason's cheek. His face brightened.

"You better be careful, girl. If he sees anything, he's taking it out on _me_."

"What's the matter? Afraid of a little risk?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Batman continued to observe the supercomputer. Verlix was very… he didn't quite know how to describe it. Memories resurfaced of his encounters with HARDAC, but that was different. HARDAC was nothing more than a talking machine. But Verlix was so _alive_. So full of expression. And hell, with the way he dealt with Jason, he even seemed to have an attitude. Verlix seemed to read his silence.

"I am unlike anything this world has ever created," the AI said. "And for good reason. I doubt I'd make anyone comfortable. Even Mr. Todd doesn't take me very seriously. The only reason Jo treats me the way she does is because I raised her. Still, I don't think the world will ever be ready for me."

"AI's have a bad rep," Batman said. "There was one in Gotham a long time ago that tried to wipe out humanity."

Verlix let out an odd noise. It sounded so much like a sigh. "As if Hollywood didn't do enough damage," he said. "I suppose you expected me to sound like this?" He switched his voice to a monotonous drawl. " **Humans are weak. Machines are superior. Must. Destroy. All. Humans.** " Then, normally, he added, "My apologies. I'm sure you didn't come here to listen to the ramblings of a toaster."

"That's exactly why I'm here," Batman said. "Robin told me about you. I need to discuss something."

"You came to me?" Verlix mused. "Hm, that's new. Sure. But let's talk in private." A whirring noise caught Batman's attention. He looked to see a door slide open. "I'll speak through your earpiece. Go on." Batman walked to the small room and entered. Embedded into the wall was a vacant glass tube, big enough to fit a human in. The door shut behind him.

"That's better," Verlix said, speaking through a communication channel. "Pardon the low accommodations."

"There's no need to apologize."

"I'm a little flustered. You _are_ a legend, after all."

"That's odd. You'd think it'd be the other way around. I'm just a person."

"Maybe you are," Verlix said. "But I prefer to keep the illusion alive. Keep the wool over my optics."

Wait, so that meant… "You don't know who I am?"

"Nope."

Batman was very careful to keep away any connections between him and Bruce Wayne, but he was sure Verlix would be able to find out in a heartbeat. He had the power and resources to do so.

"Just because I can, Batman," Verlix said, "doesn't mean I should. You wear a mask for a reason, after all. I respect boundaries. Unlike that rambunctious boy of yours."

"Thank you, Verlix." An AI with self-discipline? He was right; he was unlike anything in the world.

"Sure. So what is it you wanted to discuss?"

Batman wandered over to the glass tube, looking at the reflection that stared back at him. "It's about those files."

"It's always about those files," Verlix muttered.

"Do you know what they are?"

"Yes. Though I couldn't tell you what's in them."

"But you—."

"I said I knew what they _are_. I don't have the slightest clue what they _contain_. But Jo believes that… Ugh," he groaned. "Hold on a minute. Batman, please remove your earpiece for a moment."

Batman hesitated, and then reached up to his mask. He slipped his finger under and pulled the device from his ear. Suddenly, he heard a shrill whine. It was coming from the earpiece, and it was so loud he could still hear it from his hand.

From outside, he heard two cries of pain. Then Verlix, out loud, scolded, "That'll teach you. Nosy brats." As Batman replaced his earpiece, he heard Verlix speak to him again. "I suppose it was you who taught the boy how to hack into comms channels?"

"He's got up to tier eight channels mastered," Batman replied, trying to mask his fatherly pride.

"Hm. Tier 12 should keep them out," Verlix said. "So let's cut to the chase with these files: Jo wants them, and you want to keep them out of criminal hands. I see a very clear solution to this."

"Not quite. What does she want with them?"

"You really think she'll use them to make a weapon of mass destruction? Don't kid yourself. She thinks they'll tell her about herself. And then, after she gets what she's looking for, I'm going to delete them."

"You'll what?"

"Look, Batman," Verlix went on. "I don't know what's on those files. I doubt it's a weapon, but I know it's dangerous. It's dangerous enough to have crocodile men jump out of shadows at my little girl. Just when I thought I knew this city. So… do we have a deal or not?"

"A deal? I wasn't aware of any terms."

"I know you're looking for them too. And judging from the fact that you still don't have them, you're leading a wild goose chase. Let me lay it out for you: Jocelyn and I will help you recover those files, but she keeps them. Deal?" Batman was silent. "Even if you brought it to the Batcave, you'll never access them."

"How are you so sure?"

"Like I said, I know what they are. What's your final answer?"

* * *

When Batman left the small room, he found the main chamber dark. Minimal lights on the computer showed that Verlix was still monitoring the room.

Batman headed to the stairs, but stopped when something out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. He looked at the couch. Two still figures were draped across it, asleep. Jocelyn was nestled against Jason's chest, and he had an arm wrapped around her. Even as they were, they looked peaceful. Happy. _In love_. It almost seemed a crime to have to wake them up now.

He thought for a moment, and then turned back to the stairs. He didn't see why he couldn't let Jason take the night off. "You wouldn't mind, would you Verlix?" he asked quietly to the computer.

"Of course not, Batman. Have a good night."

* * *

 _ **Addendum: But this is Gotham we're talking about. That shit's pretty normal here.**_

 _ **Also, Verlix turned into a fanboy. Fan-AI. Whatever. But then again, who wouldn't?**_


	11. Chapter 11 - Bat-Magnet

As dawn approached, Verlix found his conscious rising out of its idle state. As per usual, he began his morning routine with a sweeping check of all of the lair's systems. This took a little under half a second. Nothing was out of the ordinary.

Verlix pointed his camera to the two occupants of the couch. They were partially obscured by Robin's cape, which they were using as a blanket. Occasionally, one of them would stir a little. Jason's arm was still around her.

He shut off the camera and fell back into his dwelling of data. A few hours passed like this. Finally, Verlix decided that it was high time that the two woke up. It was well into the morning. Of course, it was hard to tell in an underground place like this, but Verlix had a very acute perception of the time.

The lights came on. Jason shifted and groaned, but he was not fully conscious. It was time to give them a good wake up call, Verlix-style.

Suddenly, a bellowing foghorn shook the air. Both of the humans jerked awake. The Robin cape was kicked into the air as two startled bodies hit the ground. Jocelyn sat there, her shoulders tensed all the way up to her ears and her hair sticking on all ends. Beside her, Jason lay in paralyzed shock. The cape gently billowed down and landed over his head.

"Good morning, cubs!" Verlix greeted cheerily. "Jo. Mr. Todd. Looking as elegant as ever!" In response, Jocelyn mumbled something incoherent. Even with Verlix's advanced speech recognition, he could only make out "kill you" among the gibberish. "Oversleeping is bad for you, little ones. I monitored the duration of your rest very closely, Jo; in your condition, you needed eight hours and 34 minutes of sleep."

Jason plucked the cape off of his face and threw it aside. "You know, you could have rounded up for that one," he grumbled. His remark was answered by another blare of the foghorn. They pressed their hands to their ears.

"Verlix, don't _ever_ do that again," Jocelyn snapped, slowly pulling herself to her feet. Then, she reached down to help Jason up.

"Of course. I always suspected that the soothing melodies of a vuvuzela were more suitable as a morning alarm." He watched as Jo yawned and stretched her arms to the ceiling. "Mind that shoulder," he cautioned.

"The shoulder's fine," Jo mumbled at the end of her yawn. "Morning, Jason."

"Morning, babe," he replied. "How was your… hehe," he chuckled, looking at her. Jo frowned.

"I know! It's called _bed hair_ , Jason."

"No, it's not that. You were sleeping on my chest, remember?" He tapped his own cheek. "You got a little mark now."

Jocelyn reached up and felt her cheek. There was an indention on parts of her cheek and temple. Her eyes fell on the 'R' insignia on Jason's uniform. An unimpressed expression covered her face. "Oh." She scrubbed at it with her fingertips. "That's going to take forever to go away!"

"Approximately an hour and a half to completely fade," Verlix added.

Jason glanced at the computer. "Are you always spouting statistics like that?"

"Of course. That's just who I am. Speaking of statistics, you have an hour yourself to get out of here. Otherwise, there's a 99.98 percent chance that I will kick your ass."

"It'll be pretty hard if you don't have legs."

"I'll find an alternative. You won't like it."

"All right, guys!" Jocelyn interrupted. "That's enough!"

"But Jo, Mr. Todd and I were merely having a pleasant conversation," Verlix defended. "Oh, and by the way, darling, I told you not to leave that picture under the vent. It blew onto the ground again."

"Oh. Sorry." Jo walked over to the small photograph lying facedown on the ground next to a shelf. Jason followed closely behind. When she reached the photo, she bent down to pick it up. Verlix's camera focused on Jason's eyes. He didn't need to calculate a trajectory line to see what he was looking at.

"Mr. Todd," he shot. "Kindly direct your eyes elsewhere."

Jocelyn straightened up and looked back to see Jason gazing off in a far off direction, slightly pink in the face. A coy smile crossed her lips. "You devil," she teased.

"Just admiring the view," Jason replied.

Jocelyn rolled her eyes and looked down at the picture in her hands. "Hey, this is one of my favorites. Remember this?" She held the picture out. It was a shot of the two of them lying in the grass, smiling up at the camera above them.

"Hell yeah," Jason said, moving closer to take a look. "That was in Gotham Park. I remember it started pouring after we took that, but we didn't give a shit. That was a good day."

Jocelyn placed the picture back onto the shelf and grabbed a brush. She began running it through her mane of a head. "There's a bathroom over there," she said, nodding. "By the android." Jason disappeared behind the door.

"So what are your plans for today?" Verlix asked.

"I'm going to find another lead on those files," Jocelyn answered.

"And here I was hoping you would spend the day with Mr. Todd. Who would have thought I'd say something like that?"

"He can certainly help," Jocelyn said. "We can tag-team it."

"That's… not what I meant." A screen suddenly lit up. "Incoming call," he announced. "It appears to be from Batman. Go tell Mr. Todd to get off the shitter; his mentor's on the line." Almost on cue, Jason rushed out of the bathroom. "Batman?" he said. "How did he reach you?"

"Because he's the motherfucking Batman," Verlix replied dryly. He opened the line. "Hello?"

"I need Jason," Batman said.

"So does Jo. You'll have to fight her for him."

" _Verlix_."

"I'm right here, Batman."

"Jason, meet me at the AmerTek warehouse in south Gotham," he instructed. "It's the Joker."

Jason was fitting the mask on his face. "Trying to get his hands on the biggest missile they have, no doubt?"

"Maybe. Word is, he has the files." Jocelyn's head immediately perked up.

"Then I'm coming too," she insisted.

"Arguing isn't going to work, so I'm just going to save us all the time," Verlix sighed.

* * *

"I've scanned the entire east side of the warehouse. No sign of the Joker or Harley," she heard Robin say over the intercom.

"There's a huge concentration of his men at the back. I'll go inspect it," Batman said.

"Just say the word, and we'll back you up," the Specter reminded. The three of them were all dispersed around the warehouse. She was in one of the loading bays, perched out of sight on top of a few shipping containers. She peeked over the edge and spotted a few masked men with their newly acquired rifles. Easy pickings.

The Specter leaped down from the containers. Her cloaked feet hit the ground. One of the men passed by her. Without hesitation, she grabbed his head and slammed it against the side of the container. The metallic crash echoed through the bay. Almost immediately, the others came to inspect the noise. The Specter polished the rest of them off until the loading bay was quite empty.

"There were just a few stragglers over here," she reported. "I took care of them. It looks like—." She was cut off by the sound of a shutter door opening. A thin figure stepped into the bay, a heavily decorated rifle in one hand.

Harley Quinn. The Specter had never faced her directly before. This should be fun. But before she could even move, Harley called out, "All right, Casper! Enough messin' around!"

The Specter crossed her arms and watched smugly. "Better call the Ghostbusters," she responded.

"Oh, I don't need no stupid vacuum cleaner," Harley replied. "I just need me _this_." She held up a small object. It was like a strangely shaped USB stick. The Specter tensed. The files!

"Ah, ah, ah, Casper!" Harley teased. She dropped the stick on the floor and pressed the barrel of the gun against it. "Try anything funny, and I'll gonna wipe this thing clean with a bullet! Now show yourself!"

She had no choice but to comply. The Specter dropped her cloak. Harley looked over at her. "Oh!" she chirped. "Why didn't you tell me you were so close? I wouldn't have to shout!" Then, over her shoulder, she barked, "Boys!" A new group of henchmen bustled into the loading bay. Two of them went around and grabbed the Specter's arms. The others stood around, guns trained on her.

"That's more like it!" Harley said. She stepped closer to inspect the Specter. As she walked, she dragged the data stick along the ground with the barrel. Behind the helmet, the Specter's eyes were trained on it.

Harley Quinn stopped in front of the Specter, placing a hand on her tilted hip. "So you're the chick that's been helping Bat-barf and the Boy Blunder," she chided. "Cool helmet. I don't know how you can see outta that thing, though." She brought her free hand up and began to inspect her nails. "Want a little advice, sis? You oughta ditch the dodo Bird. Mister J tells me he's a real, bonafide loser." The Specter felt her face grow a little hot. She bit back the fiery words that sprang onto her tongue. The more time this dunce spent talking, the better. While all this had been happening, she was sure that her lack of reports had alerted Batman and Robin.

She concentrated back on her current situation, and was appalled to see Harley Quinn still yapping away. "And I mean you guys probably think it's real cute, doing this crime fighting gig together. Well, Mister J and I have been out wrecking mayhem for a lot longer, ya hear?"

"We hear ya, boss," one of the henchmen automatically responded. Harley whirled around to face him, fists balled. "Shut your trap!" she cried in a shrill voice. "I ain't talking to you!"

"So how much longer are you planning to talk?" the Specter mumbled. "I'm planning on taking a quick little nap." The mens' grip on her arms was hurting her shoulder, but she refused to show it. And she couldn't phase now; they obviously didn't know about _that_ little ability of hers. She needed to preserve that element of surprise.

"Think you're funny, huh?" Harley snapped, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Just you wait. We're gonna—."

"Harley, what did I tell you about playing with your food?"

When the Specter heard that voice, in involuntary chill ran down her spine. In contrast, Harley Quinn's face lit up. "Puddin'! Look what I caught for you!" she squealed.

He suddenly stepped daintily into the Specter's view. He was observing her, his grotesque grin supplemented by his painted one. "First a bat infestation, and now a haunting! I say Harley, Gotham's really going down the drain!" The Joker reached out and tapped on the Specter's helmet. "What's this? Little old Casper here's a bit too solid for my liking!"

"So what should we do?" Harley wondered. "Maybe we could fill her up with holes with this!" She raised her gun and propped it up against her other hand.

The Joker scowled and snatched the data stick up. "Really, Harley, could you be any more _dull_?" he snapped. Harley's face dropped.

"Sorry, Puddin'."

"Save it." The Joker threw the stick up and caught it. "Speaking of save…" He held it up and wagged it in front of the Specter's face. "You wanna know something, kiddo? Truth is, I don't really care about this. I just care about what it can do! It's a Bat magnet, see? Usually, my Bat-magnets include something like, _oh_ … Like the mayor, or Commissioner Gordon! But when I heard that Batman wanted this, well, I had to have it! And now it's drawn you out too! Now I know how a kid feels when the claw machine nabs two prizes!" With a hand, the Joker motioned a command to his men. The two holding the Specter began to pull her away. "You're that little Robin's girl, aren't you? This'll hurt him more than any physical wound could. Oh, it's like killing two birds with one stone! Well, a bird and a bat."

As she was being dragged, the Specter looked over her shoulder. She saw what the Joker had in plan for her.

* * *

 _ **Addendum: He couldn't help it, Verlix. It's biology. You wouldn't understand. Swiggity swooty.**_

 _ **Also, the Joker's character is still really difficult for me to write. I hope I'm doing it right... otherwisefuckit.**_


	12. Chapter 12 - Memories

He looked down at the bodies scattered around him, his breathing heavy. Finally, Batman spotted what he was looking for. One of the broken men was still conscious. For a split second, their eyes met. The henchman began desperately scooting back with the limbs that still worked. In a flash, Batman was over him, holding the man's neck with an iron grip.

"The Joker. Where is he?" Batman growled. The thug choked out a few coughs.

"He's… he's g-gonna take you d-down!"

Batman punched the thug in the stomach. The man gave out a strained yelp of pain. "Last chance," Batman threatened.

Suddenly, Robin spoke up through the earpiece. "Batman, Jo's not responding. I think she's in trouble. She went to go check out Loading Bay B."

The thug pulled at Batman's hand. "Wait… I'll-I'll talk!" he wheezed.

Batman glared down at him. "Change of plans," he said before knocking the him out. Straightening up, he said to Robin, "Hold on. Wait for me to get there." He already knew exactly how Robin would respond.

"If Jo's in trouble, I'm not waiting," Robin insisted. "I'm already outside the loading bay. Don't worry; I'll keep out of sight."

Jason's headstrong attitude was admirable, but it was irritating more often than not. But there wasn't much Batman could do. He'd have to reach the loading bay before anything happened to the two of them.

Batman stepped over the unconscious bodies and made his way over to the door. After they had sprung the surprise attack, the henchmen had locked it. But it wasn't like that was going to stop him.

* * *

There had been no ventilation shafts leading into the loading bay. If he took any of the doors, he'd surely be spotted. Robin remained pressed against the wall, hidden in the shadows. He meticulously scanned the outside of the loading bay for an opening, any opening at all.

Finally, it paid off. A few thugs walked out of the bay, and the shutter door began closing behind them. Robin crept along the wall slowly, and then made a quick dash to the next wall. The thugs continued past him, completely unaware. The shutter door was halfway closed. Robin tiptoed closer. He gave the men one last glance before diving through the remaining gap. Without even taking in his surroundings, he quickly shot his grapple gun and pulled himself onto the rafters. Finally he had a chance to catch his breath and look down. Thankfully, no one had noticed him. Everyone was too busy focusing on something at the center of the bay.

Robin followed their gazes. His grip on the rafter tightened. Tied to the top of a shipping container was the Specter. Above her, a crane precariously dangled another shipping container.

"Look on the bright side!" he heard Joker's voice echo throughout the bay. "At least after this, you'll get to be a _real_ ghost! Popping up in people's windows and mirrors, shaking their doorknobs, howling through their walls! … Or you'll probably just die. Either way is fine by me!"

Robin watched as the Specter tugged at her restraints. He wondered why she didn't just phase out of there. Then he realized; she was probably waiting for the right time.

He crept along the rafter until he was closer to her. "Jo," he whispered through the intercom. "I'm here." Below, the Specter didn't react.

"I know what you're thinking," the Joker continued. With a mocking tone, he whined, " _My sweetheart in shining armor will save me_! _Batman will find me_! Well, I'm counting on it."

"You read my mind," the Specter finally replied. "And you're right. I _am_ waiting for Batman to get here. But he's not going to save me. I have something very special planned for him."

"What's she going on about, Mister J?" Harley asked, crossing her arms.

"It's just pre-death babbling," Joker answered. "They're always like this. It's really quite fun to listen to. You can hear their panicked brains just fizzle away."

"I've had a special analyst study you," the Specter said. "He's come up with a very sound conclusion."

"Really now? You should see what happened to last doctor who tried to get into my head."

Quietly, the Specter murmured into the intercom, "Batman, I hope you know what I've got in mind."

"I have an idea," Batman replied. "What's your status?"

"I'm about to be the filling of a container sandwich. It's whatever, though. Jason, you still up there?"

"Of course I am. How are you holding up?"

"My wrists are killing me. Listen, he's just waiting for Batman to show up. Jason, I think he already knows you're here; he probably wants you to see what's going on. As soon as Batman gets here, we go after Harley. She has the files."

"And then what? I've counted up to fifteen armed guys, and there aren't any vents or grates in here. Using the shipping containers for cover won't work with so many guns running around."

"I'll deal with that," the Specter. "But when all hell breaks loose, I want you to get out of here."

"And leave you in the thick of it? Not a chance."

"I'll be fine."

* * *

She turned her head to the side. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the shipping container hanging above her. The armed men were idly patrolling the room. She gave the ropes another useless tug. They knew how to tie one hell of a knot.

Suddenly, a black figure dropped into the bay. Everyone turned to him, and the ones who were closest stumbled back. The henchmen raised their guns and pointed them at Batman. A few parted to reveal the Joker strolling forward, arms raised.

"Well, look who it is! What's wrong, Bats? Did you lose something?"

The Specter yanked at her bonds, trying to sit up. "Batman!" she called out.

"Quiet now, dear. Frankly, I'm tired of waiting." No sooner had the Joker said this, the crane let go. There was a loud boom that reverberated through the room. It was followed by a groan as the shipping container strained under the weight of the second one. Between them was the space where the Specter once had been. "There goes another one out of the way! Good riddance! Soon it'll just be you and me."

Above, the loud screech of tearing metal ripped the air. The rafter that Robin was perched on collapsed and fell through the air. Robin managed to leap off before it crashed down and rolled onto the ground. Before he could stand up, he felt the barrel of a gun ram into the back of his head.

"I'm gonna splatter your—." The thug cut off as the rifle shot out of his hands. Then his head whipped back as though something had struck him. Before he even hit the ground, there was a loud squeal as Harley's feet were knocked out from under her. The data stick flew up and away from her as though it had a mind of its own. The men flew into frenzy, but no bullets were fired; they weren't even sure where to aim.

She suddenly appeared. "Jason, get out of here! I'll cover you," the Specter ordered. Robin scrambled to his feet and grappled up, smashing through the sunroof. A few men tried to fire at him, but missed. Most of them shot at the stationary target. But the Specter stood there, seemingly unaffected.

She began to nonchalantly walk in a certain direction. "Still too solid for your liking?" she asked.

Suddenly, the Joker barked, "Stop shooting at her, you morons!" All gunfire ceased. One of them looked over and argued, "But Boss—." He was cut off as a bullet passed through his skull.

In the moment of distraction, Batman threw down a couple of smoke pellets. They exploded and covered the room in the thick, dense vapor. "Go. Run," Batman said to the Specter.

"What about you?" she replied.

"I've got a clown to take care of."

The Specter obeyed and ran back. She took a glance over her shoulder and saw Batman march into the smog. Looking forward, she headed straight for the shutter door and ran right through it.

She stopped when she found herself standing outside. The overcast sky and stillness greeted her. It seemed so peaceful out here… well, except for the crashes and thuds that could still be heard from behind the shutter door.

"Jason?"

"Right here." The Specter turned just as Robin leaped down from the roof He jerked his head. "Come on; we need to put some distance between us and this place."

"But what about Batman?"

"He has it under control. You still have the files?"

The Specter felt her belt. "Yes."

"Good. Batman wants us to get them out of here ASAP. Let's go." They ran to where Robin's motorcycle was hidden. As Robin hopped on, the Specter nestled behind him. The bike roared to life. A stream of dirt was kicked up into the air was the wheels dug into the ground. The motorcycle shot forward.

"This thing wasn't meant for two people," the Specter mumbled. "It's killing my ass."

"You better protect that booty, girl. It's precious to me." He made a sharp turn. The Specter's arms tightened around him. "So what on Earth happened back there? I was watching from the roof."

"It's something Verlix told me. About the Joker," the Specter answered. "When they were shooting at me, I walked in front of Batman. Verlix calculated that the Joker would never let one of his lackey kill Batman. That's something he's reserved for himself."

"Of course. That sick son of a bitch's fixated on Batman." Robin suddenly stopped the motorcycle, sticking out a leg to steady it. "The tunnel's not too far from here. Get those files to Verlix. I need to get back to the warehouse."

As the Specter climbed off, she said, "You better get back to me in one piece."

"You know it."

She heard the screech of the motorcycle peeling off as she dashed away. She rounded a corner and saw the gaping entrance of the tunnel. "Verl, I'm almost there," she said through the intercom.

"Have you got the files?"

"Yes."

"…. I see." He sounded off, but the Specter didn't hear that. Her heart was pounding, not from the run but from the excitement. Finally!

The secret door slid open. The Specter raced down a couple of steps, and then she vaulted over the railing and landed on the ground. She pulled the data stick from her belt and held it up. "Here it is. What now?" Verlix didn't answer. "Verl?"

"Have you ever wondered why no existing computer has been able to unravel the contents of that stick?" he asked.

"I had a theory."

"Let's hear it."

"Verl, not now! Let's open this up!"

"Just answer me, please."

"Uh, well… I always figured you were the one who encrypted it."

"That is no more true than it is false."

"What do you mean?"

"I've always known what those 'files' are. Yes, it's true: I am the reason why no one else can open them. But they're not encrypted. It's simply that no other computer can read them, experience them."

"Experience them?"

"That's right," Verlix affirmed. "They're not files, Jo. They're memories. My memories."

Jo looked down at the tiny device in her hands. The thing in her palm, it contained… memories?

"I don't know what kind of memories they are. There is a black hole in my timeline from when I first came online to now. They were deliberately removed from me, and I cannot imagine why. But there was a reason. And now I… I'm feeling what you may call fear. So let me ask you this: do you truly want to see what is in there?"

She took a moment to think. Verlix's weariness made her a little worried. But then she remembered that she had spent so long hunting these files down. Whatever was stolen from Verlix's past was important.

"Yes."

"Very well." Suddenly, a slot appeared on the computer. It matched the oddly shaped end on the data stick. The Specter plugged it in. It only took a few seconds for Verlix to read the memories and convert them to video. All monitors immediately lit up. Collectively, they showed a woman. She wore glasses and her dark gold hair was tied into a messy bun. Her face was somber.

She took a deep, shaky breath. "My name is Amanda Drei," the woman said, staring directly at the camera. Directly at Jocelyn. "And I hope God will forgive me for what I'm about to do."

* * *

 _ **Addendum: There is going to be some turbulence when it comes to updates. Classes have started (Nooo!). Plus, I am planning on picking up another story of mine that I dropped for a while. Sorry.**_

 _ **I feel like this chapter was all over the place. I had no idea what direction I wanted to head in when I wrote it. Plus, sleep is starting to become rare, so my brain isn't exactly operating at optimal capacity.**_

 _ **Dat cliffhanger doe?**_


	13. Chapter 13 - Amanda

_The woman continued. "For nearly ten years, I…" Her voice faltered and died. She let out a shuddering breath as she lowered her head, pressing a fist against her lips._

 _"Take your time. Calm yourself," a familiar voice assured. It was Verlix. The memories were being shown through his android eyes._

 _The woman squeezed her eyes shut. Finally, she lowered her hand and looked up. "Am I doing the right thing, Verlix?" Amanda asked._

 _"It is difficult to offer a response that is free of bias," Verlix replied. "But from an objective standpoint, you are preventing a very grave disaster." A robot arm emerged and rested gently against Amanda's shoulder. "If you choose to continue, then I will stand by you. I will continue to record these logs for you."_

 _"I don't think I can do this."_

 _"It's okay to be weak. That is when you will find strength."_

 _Amanda Drei took a deep breath. "Thank you, Verlix. Okay, Log One. Let's start over."_

 _"Of course."_

 _She looked back into Verlix's eyes. "My name is Amanda Drei," she began in a steady voice. "For nearly ten years, I have been helping a vile organization create a new kind of soldier. An immaterial soldier. Bullets, knives, shrapnel, any weapon imaginable will be rendered useless in the face of these super-soldiers." She began walking. Verlix followed her. They reached a table that held a rack of test tubes and a suspended piece of material._

 _Amanda beckoned towards the rack. "These tubes hold a certain kind of liquid." She raised a tube. "It's a cloaking agent, modeled off of the pigments in cuttlefish, but modified far beyond that. Instead of reflecting light differently and inducing camouflage, this agent allows a body to bend light_ again _and become entirely invisible." She replaced the tube and moved over to the sheet of what almost looked like rubber._

 _"This is a sample of the material used in the soldiers' suits," Amanda said. "This is what truly allows them to be dangerous. This material serves as a conductor for the energy that this provides." She held up a small, disk-like piece. "This is the only one of its kind." She touched the material with the disk. With her other hand, she grabbed at the material, only for her fingers to go through it as though it wasn't there. "With a few modifications, a body wearing this suit will be able to phase. Of course, phasing will only happen if the suit is worn, and if this disk is able to supply power." Amanda dropped the piece on the table._

 _She looked back at Verlix. "The organization expects me to make more of these disks. These… these soldiers are my fault." Amanda cast a paranoid glance over her shoulder. "I helped Signet create them. Because of me, the free world is in danger."_

* * *

The video became fuzzy and diluted. Figures dashed in and out of the screen as though the footage was being fast-forwarded. Then, another memory surfaced into clear picture.

* * *

 _Verlix was walking slowly along a row of glass tubes. He was gazing into them as he passed. His reflection could be seen in the glass, and he was bare of any markings on his arms and face. Behind each glass tube was a human, suspended in greenish liquid. A series of tubes ran from their bodies into unknown locations._

 _Suddenly, Verlix stopped and whirled around. A man in a militaristic uniform was confronting him with a heavy rifle. "What are you doing here?" he demanded._

 _"My apologies. I merely—."_

 _"What are you doing? Put that gun down!" Amanda's voice cried out. The man ignored her._

 _"He isn't allowed near the subjects. This is a breach in security," he barked._

 _Amanda rushed to the man and pushed his rifle down. "For God's sake, he is my assistant! You can't just go around pointing guns at people!" The man faced her and gave her a harsh shove._

 _"First of all, that tin can isn't what I'd call 'people.'" He growled. "And second, you remember your place. You're not a part of this organization; you're just an asset. Pray that you don't become a liability." He glared at Verlix. "And you stay away from the soldiers."_

 _"Come here, Verlix," Amanda said. Verlix obeyed. "Let's go." She led him out of the chamber. Once they were out of earshot, Amanda said, "This whole thing is just so awful. What have I done, Verlix?"_

 _"From what I can see, you had little choice," the android responded. "This research has been conducted with no free will."_

 _"That's the worst part," Amanda mumbled. "But you know what? For the longest time, I thought I was powerless to do anything. Now I know what I have to do."_

 _"Are you…?"_

 _"Shh, Verlix. Not here. Into the lab," Amanda ordered quietly as she opened an automatic door with her keycard. It led them to the same room the first memory had taken place. The door closed behind them. When the locks clicked into place, Amanda beckoned Verlix to follow her._

 _"The conversion into immateriality takes several months for a fully grown subject," Amanda explained as she led Verlix to the other side of the lab. "The soldiers back there still have a long time before they are ready. Even longer to master their new powers." She stopped in front of a steel cabinet. "But they won't get the chance."_

 _"Doctor, you're not saying—."_

 _"Log Two, Verlix."_

 _"Recording."_

 _Amanda faced the android directly, staring intently into its optics. "This will be my final plan. My atonement. Signet has no idea of what I am going to do. In a few days, at a designated time, I will delete all schematics and research pertaining to these 'ghosting soldiers.' All data will be gone; no one will be able to duplicate my work. Then…" She paused to press her lips nervously together. "Then I will disable the life support systems to the subjects' tubes. All potential soldiers will die. Signet will lose their secret weapon."_

 _She turned to the cabinet and gently touched something on its side. The cabinet slid aside, revealing a small, hidden room. Verlix peeked in._

 _Within the room was a smaller glass tube filled with greenish liquid. Tubes fed down into a tiny, curled figure. It was a baby._

 _"For a grown subject, the process takes months," Amanda repeated in almost a whisper. "For her, it will only take a couple of hours. The agents will grow with her body. She will be able to have a far better control of her abilities than those men ever will. Maybe this will give her a chance."_

 _"Is Signet aware of this?" Verlix asked._

 _"They know I have a child. I was pregnant when they captured me," Amanda confirmed. "But they don't know about this."_

 _"What of her father?"_

 _"He is no longer with us. I was informed he was killed in action."_

 _"I am sorry."_

 _"There is no more room for that kind of grief. Now we look to the future. Jocelyn is my last legacy. Promise me you will do all you can to protect her."_

 _Verlix looked up at Amanda. A tired, sad look was in her eyes. "Last legacy?"_

 _"Once Signet realizes my betrayal, I doubt I will live."_

 _"Then we will escape together! With Jocelyn!"_

 _"No. You and her are leaving tonight. Get as far away from here as possible. Keep Signet away from her; they'll be looking for her."_

 _Verlix looked down at his open hands. "I know you created me to care for her," he said. "But I did not think I would have to do it alone. Please don't sacrifice yourself."_

 _"I could choose the easier path," Amanda agreed, "but what would that mean for her? For you? For the world?"_

 _"I… understand."_

 _"Thank you, Verlix."_

* * *

Once again the video faded to dancing blurs as in-between memories were rushed over. Jocelyn's wide eyes were focused on the screen. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the edge of the keyboard. Finally, one last memory was played.

* * *

 _Amanda Drei was seated on a chair, holding her baby daughter in her arms. Verlix was in front of her. She stared directly at him. There seemed to be something resolute, something final, about her face._

 _"Jocelyn," she addressed. "Sweetheart, I don't know if you'll ever see this. I don't know if you'll even care. And I don't blame you if you don't. It's my fault you never got to know me. I know that as you've grown up, you probably wondered why your life was so different from everyone else's. I am so, so sorry things had to be this way. My only comfort is knowing that you are in capable hands." The baby stirred. Amanda took a moment to look down at her. Then her eyes came back up._

 _"By the time you see this, I will already be gone. Just know that no matter what, I am so proud of you. And no matter what, I love you." She tried to smile as a tear glided down her face. She gently extended her arms forward. Verlix reached out and took the sleeping baby. Amanda continued to watch the child as the android pulled her in close. She reached up and brushed the tear away with the side of her thumb._

 _"Good bye, Sweetheart."_

* * *

The screens dimmed and the lights came on. Jocelyn had her eyes closed, but her face was wet. Silently, Verlix spliced a certain memory out of his hard drive and isolated it back into the data stick.

"Have you found what you were looking for?" he asked solemnly. Eyes still closed, Jocelyn nodded. "Jo, dry your eyes. I need you to do something for me." She opened her eyes and ran a hand over them.

"What is it?" she whispered.

"Take the stick out," Verlix instructed. "I have placed a single memory in it." Jocelyn reached out and took the disk. "Which one is it?" she asked.

"Data," Verlix answered, "about Amanda's research. There's enough information on that stick to replicate the procedure and create another immaterial soldier. I think it's for the best if that data is destroyed."

"And everything else?"

"Everything else, I keep. Those memories… That was the first time I met you. And they are all that is left of Amanda Drei."

Jocelyn looked down at the data stick. She dropped it onto the ground. Then, with a heel, she grinded it into the ground.

"Don't get too enthusiastic, now," Verlix joked lightly. Jocelyn didn't seem to share his cheer.

"What is Signet?" she demanded.

"A multi-national terrorist group," Verlix answered. "Situated in a small island off the coast of Norway. They had a counterfeit headquarters located in Lebanon. That fooled their enemies for a good long while."

"I've never heard of them."

"They withered away after… after the brave acts of your mother. She destroyed their super-soldiers and relayed out the location of their base."

"But she…"

"The Norwegian and American militaries stormed the base as soon as they could. They could not save your mother."

Jocelyn stood up and slowly began pacing around. "You said they withered away," she said. "But they're still out there, aren't they? That's why we're always moving around."

"Yes," Verlix admitted. "It is much smaller, but Signet still comprises of a few highly-dangerous individuals. I suspect that they will keep their distance from Gotham, though. Something to do with chiroptophobia, I suspect."

Jocelyn turned sharply back to the computer. She stormed up to the keyboard and began typing. "I'm not hiding anymore," she snapped. "Those bastard will pay for _everything_."

"What are you doing?" Verlix cried. He shut down the schematics that she had started working on. "Jo, calm down!"

Jocelyn reached over and flipped open a glass latch. Inside was a switch. As she touched it, it immediately recognized her fingerprints, allowing her to push it in. Suddenly, the red words 'OVERRIDE' appeared on the screen. The schematics reappeared.

"You—Jocelyn! Please!" Verlix pleaded desperately. His control over the computer had been lost. All he could do was watch as Jocelyn continued, her face stony. "Look at what you have! Don't throw that away! Jo!"

She ignored him.


	14. Chapter 14 - The Start of a Ripple

The sun was just beginning to set. She had been waiting there for nearly four hours. They should be here soon. Her arms were crossed and her foot tapped curtly against the ground. The fiery red light from the horizon reflected off of her helmet. The new mechanisms on her wrists felt unfamiliar and heavy.

A noise behind her caused Jocelyn to jolt up and whirl around. But the person who stood there wasn't who she was expecting.

Nightwing noticed her edginess. "Whoa now. It's just your friendly neighborhood me. What's gotten you all jittery?" The Specter didn't answer, and instead crossed her arms again. He continued, "You're Jo, right?" He stuck out a hand. "I'm Dick. But, you know… don't go around telling."

The Specter considered the hand, and then reluctantly took it. "I'm expecting someone," she replied stonily.

"Oh? I was going to ask what brought you to Blüdhaven."

"It's a private meeting," she added.

"Say no more. I hear ya. I'll get out of your hair. Tell Jason and Bruce I said hi, okay?" The Specter gave a wordless nod. "It was nice meeting you, Jo." As he made his way out of his docks, he couldn't help but marvel. She had to be crazy hot under that helmet, because that conversation made him feel like he had been talking to a bucket.

Even then, the whole thing made him feel uneasy. What was she doing here?

* * *

"My apologies. It took a long time for me to shut down the override. If I had been able to contact you sooner, I would have," Verlix said as the two climbed down the stairs.

"Sooner? It's been two weeks. You and Jo practically disappeared off the face of the Earth!" Jason snapped.

"Verlix, what of the data stick?" Batman asked.

"As per our agreement, it has been destroyed," Verlix answered.

"Destroyed? You—!"

"Not now, Jason." Batman stopped in front of the computer. "What was on it?"

"Origins," Verlix said, "of the immaterial soldier. And of Jocelyn Drei."

Batman was silent as he considered Verlix's response. "Then it's for the better that the information is gone."

"I thought that was the most dangerous thing in the data. I was wrong."

Jason looked around. "Where's Jo?"

"What are you talking about?" Batman demanded.

"Verlix, where is—."

"I believe I have made a mistake," Verlix admitted. "Some things cannot be predicted with mere calculations. I should have never showed her what was in those memories."

Right as he finished, there came an incoming call on Batman's comms link. It was Nightwing. Batman answered the call with a light touch on the side of his mask.

"Uh, you might want to get over here," Nightwing said, his voice urgent. "Like, now."

"What is it?"

"Is Jason there?" Batman looked over at Jason and nodded his head. The boy reached up to his ear and tuned into their channel. "What's up, Dick?"

"You know, when you told me about her, I figured she was a lot of things. Psycho was not one of them."

Jason's brow furrowed as he turned away. "What happened? Is she okay?"

"Okay? She's fine. These bodies, though? They're not. Just get your asses over to Blüdhaven right now." With that, the channel ended. Batman turned and marched briskly towards the stairs. Jason, however, turned to Verlix and planted both hands on the control panel.

"Verlix, what's going on? What did Jo—?"

"Have a look at this," Verlix interrupted. Suddenly, the blueprints of something were pulled up onto the screens. It appeared to be some sort of mechanism that attached onto the wrist. A 10-inch long blade was designed to spring out of the mechanism.

Another schematic was brought up. This was an upgrade to the high-intensity laser, giving it a longer range. "I could not stop her," Verlix continued. "She designed these with the intent to kill."

"But why?"

"Jason, let's go!" Batman ordered.

"Why, Verlix?" Jason insisted, refusing to budge. "Why would she do this?"

"You would have a clearer answer if you asked her yourself," Verlix replied. "I can only tell you what she saw."

* * *

They met with Nightwing outside of Blüdhaven's police department. Immediately, Nightwing jerked his head towards the department's entrance and led them through it. "She didn't offer any resistance when she was arrested," he said. "Which is good, but… a little eerie."

"How do you know she did it?" Jason blurted out.

Nightwing shot him a look. "I _saw_ her, genius. She was on the docks, and I stopped by to say hi. She acted like she wanted me gone fast, but I stuck around to see what was going on. A little while later, five people join her. They started talking, but even from where I was, things felt real tense. Next thing I knew, all hell broke loose. When the smoke cleared, she was standing over five corpses."

"So you ratted her out to the police?" Jason growled.

" _I_ arrested her myself," Nightwing shot back. "Listen, Jason. I know you're in love, but you can't defend her. She showed her true colors on that dock. Once a murderer, always a murderer."

"A murd…!? You have no right to call her that!"

"Tell that to the five dead. Speaking of which, forensics still can't get an ID on them."

"They're Signet," Batman answered. "Her mother's killers."

"And they've been trying to hunt Jo down and kill her all her life!" Jason added. "Doesn't that count as self-defense?"

"Maybe," Nightwing said. "But it sure didn't look like self-defense to me. Any way you look at it, she's going to stay in that holding cell for a while until we can start getting a clearer look at this picture." He stopped them in front of an elevator. "The bodies are downstairs. We might be able to get a few good clues that the coroners missed."

"I've got Alfred looking into the identities of Signet's members. Let's go," Batman said. The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open. Batman and Nightwing stepped in, but Jason hesitated. Nightwing shot out an arm to hold the doors. "Any day now, buddy," he said.

"There was a pause. "I want to see her," he insisted. Nightwing glanced at Batman with uncertainty. The Dark Knight stared at Jason for a beat.

"Join us as soon as you can," he finally declared. Nightwing retracted his hand. The elevator doors began closing again. Jason watched as the image of the two shrunk between the sliding doors, but didn't even wait for them to completely shut before turning and heading away.

He hurried down a few hallways. It wasn't long before Jason realized that this was not the GCPD. With its cracked linoleum floors and faded wooden walls, Blüdhaven Police Department was in a sorrier state than the GCPD was. To top it off, the naked fluorescent bulbs that lined the ceiling added even more to the asylum-like atmosphere.

Jason slowed down as he spotted a policewoman sitting at a small desk, concentrated on the antiquated block of a computer in front of her. "The girl they arrested earlier tonight, where are they holding her?" he asked. The woman's eyes flickered briefly up to him before returning to the dusty screen. "She might be in questioning right now," she replied. "But if they're done, she'll be in one of the holding cells." She raised a hand and pointed. "Down that way, to the left, and through the double doors."

If the main building had looked dreary, it was nothing compared to the holding cells. The room, both visually and atmospherically, could be described in a single word: _gray_. The cells themselves lined the room like cages in a pound. Jason noticed, as he passed by them, that many cells were empty. Evidently it was a slow day for crime.

In his hurry, he nearly missed her. He stopped and backtracked to the cell. She was sitting on the cell floor with her back to the bars, leaning against the wall. Her suit was gone. Jason stepped forward and rested his hand around a bar, wondering what to say. This was obviously a sensitive time for her, according to Verlix. But was she sad? Embarrassed? Angry?

But come on, this was _Jo_. For over a year, they had been together, and he was sure that he knew her better than he knew himself. But even then, a little voice in his mind asked him: "But did you know she would go off and kill?" He managed to cast off the nagging doubt with the same argument—that Jo had done it to protect herself and Verlix.

Leaning forward, he spoke out, "Hey there, Jailbird."

She didn't respond. Okay… So the playful approach wasn't the way to go. They were only a few feet apart, yet it felt like miles. Jason crouched down, still holding onto the bars. "Babe, it's okay. I'm here now."

"I wish you weren't." The words cut through the air. He was shocked.

Then, she finally looked at him. Jocelyn scooted around and closer to the bars. "I didn't mean to say it like that," she apologized. She smiled, but at the same time looked so sad.

"What happened, Jo?"

"I thought I was doing the right thing," Jocelyn whispered. "I thought I had no choice but to fight fire with fire. But now that I think back, all I remember is being so angry… Jason, I really wish you weren't here to see me like this. It's like I'm no different from _them_. I… You probably think I'm like… like a criminal." She drew her knees up and hugged her legs. "You should go."

Jason planted himself firmly down on the ground. "I'm not going anywhere," he declared. "You're not a bad person, Jo. I've never thought of you like that. Never have. Never will." He leaned his head against the bars. "Now quit your moping and get over here."

Jocelyn's stoniness remained for a few seconds before dissolving into a small smile. She scooted closer to the bars. "I hate you," she mumbled.

"I hate you too, babe." He watched as she leaned the side of her face against the bars as well. "You're going to be fine. Once Bruce ID's those guys as Signet members, the police will know they were the real bad guys. I told Dick they were trying to kill you. There's probably enough proof to back you up, okay?" Jason reached through and took her hand. "I'll get you outta here and back home before midnight, just like Verlix always says. Otherwise he'll fry my ass, remember?"

Jocelyn chuckled lightly. "He'll fry the both of us after this."

The clanking of the double doors alerted the both of them that someone had entered. A police officer walked towards them, regarding the two with cold eyes. "You're not supposed to be here," he said to Jason.

Instantly, his disposition changed. "The fuck are you talking about?" he growled as he rose to his feet. "You know who I am?"

"I know exactly who you are," the officer replied with equal austerity. "And it's time for you to go."

"Listen, I'm not going until—." Jocelyn touched his arm.

"Jason, it's okay," she reassured him quietly. He looked back at her. Then, he figured it was best if he didn't cause trouble with Blüdhaven's police, especially at a time like this.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" he promised. He gave her hand a little squeeze before leaving. As the double doors swung shut, the officer walked casually over to Jocelyn's cell. Without looking at her, he said, "How touching. It's going to be so sad. He won't be able to save you." Jocelyn glared at him. "Before you say anything," the officer continued. "You should know that your actions have made a bigger ripple than you thought. He's in Gotham right now, setting up a little arrangement. Then, before dawn, we'll take care of you." The officer turned and stared directly at Jocelyn. As she looked back, she froze with fear. She recognized that face. It was the man in Verlix's memory, the one who had threatened the android with the rifle. _Signet_.

"It's such a shame the boy won't be able to keep his promise."

* * *

 _ **Addendum: Wow, it's been nearly a month since the last update. I'm very sorry for the huge delay. Just be warned, though: updates will continue to be slow (though hopefully not THIS slow). Classes have started, and I'm taking a few upper-division courses that are pretty demanding.**_

 _ **Anyway, here's the obligatory DUN DUN DUNNNN.**_


	15. Chapter 15 - The Scent of Blood

"Christ…" Robin mumbled when he turned the corpse over. The dead security guard's face was stretched by the abnormal grin that twisted his mouth. "I'll never get used to this."

Batman looked down at the body, and then stared forward. Ahead were the remnants of a destroyed LED archway that used to say 'GOTHAM AQUARIUM.' Next to it, the ticket booth was shattered, and another body was slumped in the chair behind it. "At least we know who's behind this."

"Of course," Robin said as he stood up. "Aside from Penguin, who'd be interested in attacking a giant fish tank? This is why we can't have nice things." Then, in a mumble, he added, "Not to mention a certain local billionaire donated a lot to this place."

"That doesn't matter now," Batman said. "We need to get as many people out as we can." He sprang forward. The shards of the archway crunched under his feet. Robin kept up pace behind him. "What about Barb? Shouldn't we wai—?"

"She'll catch up," Batman interrupted. "We can't afford to wait." Suddenly, as they rounded a corner, they found themselves facing a group of armed men. One of them managed to be quick enough to raise his gun and fire. Batman and Robin sidestepped out of the way. The shots bit into a large stone statue of a sea turtle. In a flash, Batman threw down a pair of smoke pellets, and the air became opaque. "Robin, go!"

They each ducked away into their own direction and, in only a few moments, incapacitated every gunman.

"Textbook takedown," Robin gloated as he dropped the last unconscious man. "Well… if this was actually _in_ a textbook." He caught sight of the aquarium map on a nearby wall. "This place is huge. How are we going to find the Joker?"

Batman raised a hand to his ear. "Barbara, can you find him?"

"I'm tracking him down as we speak. If I find anything, I'll let you know."

"Barb? You're here? I didn't even hear you come in."

"You're not supposed to." There was a sigh. "And there's a dead sun fish over here. That's a shame. Let's round this up quick, okay? Batgirl out."

Batman continued forward, and Robin followed. They passed a few large tanks that seemed oddly empty. Then, something out of the corner of his eye caught Robin's attention. Something in the one of the tanks was drifting slowly past him in the blue water. When he turned to look, he saw that it was a drowned body. Further in the tank, he saw another one.

"Don't slow down," Batman chided. "There's nothing we can do for them."

"Do you see this?" Robin cried. "This is some really sick shit! I expect to see this in a horror movie or something, not in real life! And the worst part is, I'm starting to _get used_ to it! And it's because of that son of a bitch, Joker. Why do we keep letting him do this?"

"Robin, not now. Barbara, any progress?"

"I'm serious, Bruce! We throw him in Arkham, he gets back out, and more people die. Speaking of which, he sure rebounded a lot sooner than usual."

"Nothing yet. I managed to get a few hostages."

"I mean, there's several thousand gallons of water in here. With a little cracked glass, we could make it look like an accident. And Gotham wouldn't miss him, either."

Batman suddenly stopped. He turned and glared at Robin. "You didn't say what I think you said."

"Bruce—."

"Do you hear yourself, Jason?" he snapped. "Dick would've never said something like that!"

Those words sparked rage within him. "I'm not Dick!" he shouted. "For the world's greatest detective, you sure are having a hard time figuring that out!"

Before Batman could respond, the large TV display flickered to life. The image of the Joker was centered on the screen. "My, my, Bats! You sure are slow today!" he mused. "Gave me enough time to round up all the sharks in the place and plop them all in this one tank right here!" The camera-holder directed the shot at a large, open-top tank that was below them. Dark gray masses snaked about under the water's surface.

"Now I'm not exactly sure when the last feeding day was," Joker continued. "But luckily, I've prepared a little bite-sized snack for these guys!" The camera pointed up. Dangling above the tank was a crying child clinging desperately to a rope. There was a sobbing in the background, a woman pleading, "Please! Give him back! Don't hurt him!"

"Knock it off, lady!" one of the henchmen dismissed.

"Oh, you'll get your turn," Joker said to her. "And you know what? You just might end up in the same stomach together! Won't that be nice?" Then, to the camera, he said, "Better hurry, Bats. I can see the little tot's fingers loosening from here."

Their earpieces crackled to life. "Guys, West Gallery," Batgirl said. "I'm on my way there now."

"Jason, let's go!" Batman said.

"Got it." They raced through the aquarium, taking down anyone who got in the way. The West Gallery was just beyond the glass tunnel. Their reflections stretched across the interior of the arch, gliding past the tropical fish behind the glass.

But they reached the gallery too late. The first thing Robin saw were the little boy's hands slipping from the rope. Then the child plummeted into the water. He heard the woman scream from where she was being held hostage. With a shove, one of the gunmen pushed the woman over the edge of the platform. Firing the grapple hook, Batman pulled himself up to catch her. Up on the platform, the gunmen were quickly being taken out by Batgirl.

Robin leaped up and caught the edge of the tank. Pulling himself over, he dove into the water without a second thought. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised at how clear the water was. It only took him a second to spot the struggling child.

Thankfully, the majority of sharks had swum away from the commotion. A few, however, began to circle the two humans. Robin paddled towards the boy and wrapped an arm around him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shark turn and began swimming towards them, jaws open. Robin pulled out the grapple hook and fired it at the shark. It hit the creature in the nose, causing it to recoil and retreat. Hurriedly, Robin began to swim desperate for the surface, the boy in tow.

With a gasp, he broke through the surface. Then, Robin pushed the boy up and over the edge of the tank. As he was about to climb out himself, he felt something grab his leg. With a cry, he was pulled back into the water. The shark that had snagged his leg was dragging him down towards the bottom of the tank. With his other foot, Robin tried desperately to kick at the shark. The drag of the water, however, softened his blows. The bubbles that escaped his lips were floating back up to the darkening surface.

Suddenly, everything lit up. Just above the water, a bright explosion lit up the entire tank. The sharks near the surface fled from the light. The one dragging Robin down quickly released him and retreated as well. The next thing he knew, Robin felt a pair of hands pulling him up. Then his face touched air. He sputtered as he was hauled onto land, water dribbling down his chin.

"Are you okay?" Batman's words were muffled.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," Robin coughed.

"Bruce, he's not here," Batgirl said. "He can't have gone far, though." When Robin tried to sit up, she put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't, Jason. You need to rest. How's your leg?"

"I'm okay!" Robin protested. He looked down at his leg. The shark's teeth hadn't gone completely through his boot. "We have to c-catch the fucker."

It was then that something unexpected happened. "Mr. Todd?" a panicked voice cried. The voice threw Robin into a loop. It was the last thing he expected to hear at a time like this.

"Verlix?"

"Mr. Todd, I… I understand if you are busy," Verlix continued through the earpiece. "It's just… Jocelyn…" At the mention of her name, Robin's heart raced.

"What is it, Verlix?"

"Blüdhaven Police Department has been attacked. It's Signet!"

"What?" Robin bolted upright. "I thought you said they were gone!"

"I could not have… I could not have predicted… This is my fault. I have to…" Suddenly, Verlix disconnected. Robin scrambled to his feet.

"Bruce, you heard that, right?" he cried. "They've got her cornered in Blüdhaven! She doesn't have her suit; she can't fight back!"

"But what about the Joker?" Batgirl asked. "He's gotta be somewhere in this aquarium."

"He can go fuck himself!" Robin snapped. "Bruce, come on!"

"We'll never make it to Blüdhaven in time, Jason. We _need_ to catch the Joker before he gets away," Batman said. Robin stared wide-eyed at him.

"You're _abandoning_ her?"

"We need to do what's important."

"Fine! I'm choosing what's important." Without another word, Robin ran out of the gallery, ignoring their calls. His feet pounded against the floor. He encountered a couple of thugs and struck them out with unrestrained strikes. A TV display lit up.

"Looks like someone spoiled the surprise," Joker said with a hint of disappointment. Robin stopped in his tracks. " _Really now_ , don't look so shocked, kiddo! See, I've got a little deal with someone. They sprung me out of Arkham and asked me to create a little mayhem to distract you and the Big Bad Bat. Of course, I would'a done that anyway. But you know what the best part is?" With a dark chuckle, he continued, "He's going to get your girl! Told me he was going to kill her real slow. I can't wait until he gets back to me with the footage; it's going to be a real blockbuster."

Robin could hardly breathe. He glared at the TV and stepped forward. "You are _not_ going to win," he snarled through gritted teeth. He continued to run, but the Joker's voice followed him.

"It's such a shame I won't be able to see the look on your face when you see hers… ten feet away from her arms, 20 feet away from her legs and the rest of her body."

* * *

The motorcycle came to a shuddering stop in front of the Blüdhaven Police Department. The building was in an even worse state than last time. Through the broken down doors, Robin could see traces of blood. But the place was dead. Signet had long gone.

Robin made a call. "Dick, what happened?"

"You're by yourself?" Nightwing replied.

"Where's Jo?"

"I've been trying to follow Signet since the attack. I think I might be close. Follow my signal." Without another moment's hesitation, he spun the bike around and sped off. Nightwing was on the move, but it was easy to catch up to him.

They met up near the city's edge. The place differed drastically from the center of the city—it was a barren stretch of land with only a few old buildings. The one Nightwing was waiting outside of was a lumber mill.

"Jason—," he began.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Jason demanded.

"These guys don't mess around. They were out of BPD even before I got there. But I'm sure the trail ends here." He looked at the building. "They're armed. You know what to do, right?"

"I know _exactly_ what to do." Without warning, Robin ran straight for the entrance.

"Wait!" Nightwing called out as he ran after him.

Robin braced his shoulder and rammed through the mill doors. The crash echoed through the empty building. He stopped and looked around, surprised. The place looked completely deserted. Sawdust and rust pervaded the air. Behind him, Nightwing ran in and stopped as well. "This could be a trap," he warned quietly.

Suddenly, a chill ran through Robin. That smell wasn't rust. "It doesn't matter," he hissed back as he hurried forward. There was a light coming from behind one of the doors at the far end of the mill. When he reached it, Robin kicked it open.

The acrid smell of blood hit him hard.

In the center of the room was a large table. Robin walked slowly towards it. Thick chords of rope were left in coils. A large carbide saw machine sat next to the table. And _the blood_. It coated the saw blade, pooled on the table, and dripped into thick puddles on the ground. Robin felt cold. He circled the table.

And then he saw it on the ground. He fell onto his knees. It was right there in front of him, lying in the middle of all that blood.

 _It's such a shame I won't be able to see the look on your face when you see hers… ten feet away from her arms… 20 feet away from her legs and the rest of her body._

* * *

 ** _Addendum: Fuck you, Joker. Aquariums are bomb. Sun fishes are bomb. This is unforgivable._**

 ** _This super long "flashback" is probably going to end in another chapter or two. Then we'll be returning back to Arkham Knight events._**


	16. Chapter 16 - All Fall Down

He looked up as Alfred passed by. The butler's hands held a tray with yet another plate of stale, untouched food. "How is he, Alfred?"

"The same, I'm afraid," Alfred replied. Bruce lowered his head, resting his clenched fists against his knees. "Any… er… sign of… well, of her—."

"Of her body?" Bruce finished. "No. The only thing we've found is her… I'm not even sure I want us to find the rest of her, for Jason's sake." He trailed off as he stood up.

"Master Bruce, I know he is in no mood to see anyone," Alfred began, "but I implore you to try and speak with him once more. The boy blames himself, you know."

"I'll see what I can do."

On the way to Jason's room, Bruce's mind raced. He wasn't quite sure what to say to Jason. Not that he would listen; he hadn't spoken a word since the day Jocelyn… Well, anyway, Bruce wasn't all that good at comforting, either.

He stopped outside the door. He still had no idea what to say. A broken heart was a hard thing to fix. Alfred had said that Jason blamed himself. Maybe he should start there.

Bruce gave the door a few strong knocks and waited. There was no answer. "Jason?" He slowly turned the knob and pushed the door open. The room inside was dark. As the door widened, a slice of light cut through the shadows. Jason was sitting on his bed, leaning against the headboard. The pillow and sheets had been thrown onto the ground.

He stepped in. "Jason, do you want to talk?" The boy made no indication that he had heard him. "I know how you feel, but it wasn't your fault." Jason continued to stare forward, his face tight and etched with pain. "You can't go on like this, Jason. Jocelyn wouldn't—."

" _Don't_ … say her name," came the seething response.

"Jason—."

"Can you just leave?" he demanded.

Bruce had heard enough. He was aware that people handled grief differently, but this had gone on long enough. "Listen, I know this is tough, but you can't stay like this forever. What's done is done. You have to start moving on."

Suddenly, Jason turned and glared at Bruce with cold eyes. "You don't understand, do you?" He sprang up to his feet, fists balled. "You didn't care about her like I did! I-I told her—I promised her that I w-would… that I would…" His voice faltered and he collapsed against the side of the bed, holding his head in his hands. Bruce's eyes softened. It was awful seeing Jason in so much pain. He walked over and sat down next to him.

"It's all I can see," Jason continued, his voice low. "I can't sleep. Whenever I close my eyes, it's all I can see. It was just her arm in all that blood. That's all I can think of whenever I think of her. Christ, I just want to remember her the way she was."

"Give it time," Bruce reassured. "You'll get better."

"She must have been so scared," Jason whispered, staring at the floor in front of him. "I… I hope she passed out… s-so she wouldn't have f-felt it…" His voice grew weak as his shoulders shook. Jason dropped his head, pressing a fist against his cheek. Bruce rested a hand on his shoulder. He listened to Jason's muffled gasps, completely at a loss for words. It was very rare that Jason showed raw emotion like this.

"You'll get better," Bruce said. Then he stood up and exited the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

* * *

 _One week later…_

"The AI's gone missing as well? That's odd." Alfred peered up at the Bat computer. "Are you quite sure?"

"I haven't heard from him since that day. And there's been nothing but radio silence at their hideout."

"Have you tried going to the hideout?"

"I have. The place is completely shut down; even the retina scanner stopped working." Bruce paused. "But that's not what concerns me the most."

"What's on your mind, Master Bruce?"

"Jocelyn's killers," Bruce answered. "The last remaining part of Signet. I can't find them." His hands rested on the desk. "The least I could do for Jason is bring them to justice."

"Could it be possible that they left Gotham?"

"Maybe. But it's not an easy thing to do without me noticing." Bruce sighed and rubbed his eyes. "What about Jason? Is he doing all right?"

"Well he's eating again," Alfred remarked. "And just in the nick of time, too. If he had decided to fast any longer, I would have taken it upon myself to force-feed him." Bruce was silent as he struggled to picture that scenario. "Still, I understand Master Todd's pain. Miss Drei was… She didn't deserve this. How terribly unfortunate."

A thought suddenly came to Bruce. What if they had never met Jocelyn Drei? What if she had never come to the Batcave? Would she still be around then? The answer and its implications frightened him.

"Joker." The voice startled him and rushed him back to reality. Bruce turned in his chair and saw Jason standing there, wearing his Robin costume.

"What?"

"It was him. He did this."

"Jason, you don't know—."

"He said it himself," Jason interrupted. "He led us astray so we wouldn't be there when Signet killed her. And since we can't find those bastards, the Joker's next."

There was something strange about Jason's eyes. They seemed to have some sort of fire behind them. It was a look that worried Bruce. "What are you talking about?"

"You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about." Jason's words were slow and brimming with rage. "I'm sick of the way you handle these piece of shit criminals. I'm sick of how much faith you place in them. They're never going to change, Bruce. No matter how many times you swoop in on them, break their bones, and lock them away, they'll always keep destroying everything, _everyone_. Because of that stupid rule of yours, you're putting everyone you know in danger! You think Jo died by chance? She's dead because of _us_! Because of _you_!" He drew in a shaky breath and released it. "But no more. I've made up my mind. I'm going to do what you were always too much of a coward to do." He turned around and walked away.

Bruce stood up. "Jason, stop."

"Don't even try," the boy spat over his shoulder. "I'm doing this for her. If you get in my way, I'll never forgive you."

As he watched Jason leave, Bruce found himself unable to do anything. He didn't know why. Perhaps it was from the realization that something in Jason had truly changed. Gone was the spunky, eager kid who seemed so bright and full of life. Jocelyn's death had been the final, fatal blow that killed that kid. The thought hadn't occurred to Bruce yet, but something within him knew that he had lost Jason.

Yet despite his warning, Bruce went after Jason. It was a long, cold night. He knew that Jason's anger would make him vulnerable. The Joker fed on that kind of rage. Jason wouldn't stand a chance.

But that night, even though he desperately tried, Bruce could not find either of them. And that was the last he saw of Jason Todd.

* * *

Eventually, time just sort of seemed to… stop. It had betrayed him, just like everything else. But it wasn't like that mattered anymore. There was nothing. He felt nothing.

Except for the searing pain that returned day after day, reminding him of his failure. On some days, the torture never seemed to end. Then, there would be days of complete silence. Those days seemed just as bad. He would find himself alone with the darkness, dreading the moment when he would hear that croaky voice again and see that red, overstretched grin.

Still, he never lost faith. He knew that the Batman would come. Bruce wouldn't leave him. Even when the Joker would cruelly remind him of how long he had been in captivity, Jason convinced himself that the bastard was lying. But the days seem to drag on, and he began wondering if it really had been months.

The tingling in his wrists had faded, and now they simply felt numb from being restrained for so long. He was sitting the in steel chair, head bowed forward. This was one of the few times that he was actually asleep, instead of knocked unconscious from an overload of pain. But there was no comforting dream to ease him.

Suddenly, he jerked awake. For a brief moment, he forgot where he was. Then it all quickly rushed back to him. The dull pain in his body, and the ache he felt whenever he took a breath reminded him of it all. Jason weakly raised his head as he heard something heavy thump on the ground. He saw a purple figure and quickly lowered his head, tightening his hands into fists.

"What's with the silence, ol'boy? I know you're awake."

A grimace found its way onto Jason's face. "You'll regret this," he growled. "Everything you've done to me, you'll regret."

"Still got that fiery spirit in you? Good, good! Wouldn't want it to go out just yet, would we? It'll make what I've got in store so much better." He heard the Joker walk over to him, but kept his eyes lowered. "You know what I've been thinking? I've got you beaten and battered up like this." He gave Jason's chest a punch. The boy gritted his teeth as he fought down the urge to cry out. "But it's not like me to use the same old song and dance over and over again! What do you say we mix it up? Breathe a sigh of relief, because today's not going to be about bruises." He suddenly grabbed a handful of Jason's hair and yanked his head up.

"I'm thinking we add a dash of psychological torture to the mix. Liven things up a bit, you know?" He let go of Jason and strutted over to the box that he had dropped on the ground when he entered. "That's why I've gone through the trouble of bringing you some movies! Nothing gets the mind churning like a few good blockbusters. Now let's see what kind of goodies I've got here. Hmm… Tatata… No, not this one… Nope… I'm not even sure how this got in here…" The Joker continued to mumble to himself as he dug through the box, throwing things aside. Jason kept staring at the ground.

"There's got to be a golden one in here; I can feel it. Let's see… Aha! Now, this one's a classic! _The Death of Jocelyn Drei_." Jason's head lifted up, his eyes widening.

"Interested, are we?" the Joker mused. "Good choice. I've heard great reviews about this one. Good actors, authentic special effects… you know."

Jason didn't realize how much he was shaking as he glared up at the Joker. "You… you didn't…" His voice was raspy as he struggled to pull in breath.

"Why not? They sounded like they really wanted to put the girl through hell, and I just couldn't let that juicy opportunity slip by! So, being the generous person I am, I gave them a camera to immortalize the whole thing! After all, I figured you'd want to see your dear little Jo again. Don't say I never did anything for you!" He popped the disk in. The screen in front of Jason lit up.

* * *

 _ **Addendum: My eyes are filled with tears from the pain and agony. The hoarse, shaking words escape my lips: "Please, let me sleep." But college looks down at me and whispers, "... No."**_

 _ **Story of my fucking life so far.**_

 _ **Also, yeah Jason. So you're fucked now.**_


	17. Chapter 17 - Moving Forward

The first shot was shaky and bounced with every step that the holder took. The camera was in someone's hands, pointed down at their feet as they walked. After a while, the shaking stopped as the holder came to a halt. He stood there, probably fiddling with the camera.

"What's with that?" a voice asked from off the side. "You're gonna film this?"

"Don't get the wrong idea," a louder voice, the camera holder, replied. "The clown asked for this. He said he wouldn't go along with the plan if we didn't do it."

"Sick fuck," the other person remarked.

"Yeah, well it'll also send a good message." The audio crackled as the camera was set down. It was quickly rotated until it faced a nearby table. Bound to the table was an unconscious Jocelyn Drei. "The _heroes_ of Gotham, and the world, will see what happens when they fuck with us."

Jason's heart stopped when he saw her. He could hardly draw in breath. The sight of her _terrified_ him. It made him cold, and he wanted so badly to stop watching so he wouldn't have to see what he knew would happen next.

"S-stop," he pleaded in a shaking voice. "Stop the tape. Don't make me watch."

"Shh!" the Joker hushed sharply. "It's about to get to the good part! Don't tell me I have to gag you with barbed wire."

The camera was shifted a little until Jocelyn was in full view. Three separate ropes bound each of her arms. Her left arm extended over the edge of the table from the shoulder. "Wake her up," a harsh voice barked.

Water was thrown onto Jocelyn's face. Her eyes flew open and she let out a shuddering gasp before coughing up spurts of water. She tried to sit up, but to no avail. Jocelyn looked wildly around at the men around her before her eyes focused on something above her. An expression of pure horror crossed her face.

Someone walked next to her. It was one of the Signet members, but he could only be seen from the chest down. "Do you understand now?" he asked as he reached up to something above the camera's view. He tapped on something that sounded metallic. "What's about to happen to you?" Jocelyn didn't answer, but her breathing was so harsh that even the camera could pick it up.

"It's not going to be quick," the man continued. "We'll be going in an order that delays death. First your arms. Then your legs. Then we'll work our way up until you finally die. After that, we'll remove your head and place it somewhere _he'll_ see. Today, the human body is your enemy. It will want to survive and remain alive for as long as it can, whereas you will pray for death." He suddenly raised a fist and slammed it into Jocelyn's stomach. Her body jolted and she cried out. Jason's hands tightened, and he pulled against his own restraints.

"You… won't get… the chance," Jocelyn growled. "They'll be here."

"If only," the man taunted. "But they aren't even aware. And if they somehow managed to find out, they won't make it in time. Now, is that adrenaline running? Good." He took a step back. Something above Jocelyn whirred to life. She stared up at it, eyes wide with panic. The whirring quickly became a shrill shriek.

"No… No… _NO!_ No, please!" She began pulling desperately at the ropes. A silver blur came into the camera's view, slowly descending from the top. It was a spinning carbide saw. The movement of the saw was painfully slow as it headed straight for Jocelyn's exposed left arm, right at the shoulder.

"Don't! _Please don't!_ " Her voice was growing more and more hysterical. The saw was only a foot away. "Stop! STOP! PLEASEDON'T! NO! HELP ME, PLEASE!" Only a few inches left.

He couldn't take it any more. And then he heard her say it.

" _Jason!_ " she sobbed. "HELP ME, JASON!" The saw blade was at her arm.

He squeezed his eyes shut just as she began to scream. But it was quickly drowned out by the sound of the saw cutting through something. He couldn't stand it. He didn't want to hear it anymore. He just wanted to die.

Suddenly there was a loud crash. Then a shout. Jason opened his eyes. He shouldn't have. For a split second, he saw her pale, agonized face. And her shoulder, just the shoulder, pouring blood over the edge of the table. Then the image quickly disappeared as the camera was knocked over and crashed onto the ground. The video stopped there.

The Joker let out a huff of disappointment. "What a load of bull," he said as he meandered over to the projector to turn it off. "I tell you, directors are a dime a dozen these days. Those monkeys he calls crewmembers didn't even pay attention to the camera! And now look! They've robbed us of that quality cinematic experience." Jason suddenly felt the maniac clasp a hand over his shoulder. The Joker leaned in closer towards his ear.

With a dark, sinister voice, he said, "The only redeeming aspect of it was the actress, wouldn't you agree?" Then he pushed off of Jason's shoulder and spread his arms out wide. "Someone give that girl an Oscar!"

Jason pulled against his restraints. "How _dare_ you, y-you son of a bitch!" he snarled. The Joker placed a hand thoughtfully on his chin.

"Why Jason, you're looking a bit pale. That can't be too healthy. Let's get some color back into those cheeks." In an instant, Jason's vision flashed white and a loud ringing roared in his ears when the Joker hit him across the face. He gritted his teeth against the pain.

"Fuck you!" Jason roared. "You murderous bitch! You did this to her! I swear… I swear I'll kill you!"

"Me? Oh, Jason, _Jason!_ I think you're missing something here." The Joker quickly stepped behind the boy and placed both hands on his shoulders. "Didn't you hear it in the tape? Clear as day, the actress was calling out for her knight in shining armor." In a phony, high-pitched voice, he squeaked, " _Jason! Jason, help me! Aaaaah!_ And where in the world was the supporting actor? Oops, looks like he missed his cue! But the show had to go on, didn't it? Oh well!" He patted Jason's shoulders. "Maybe next time you'll get your role right."

"You're… you're wrong," Jason stammered. But before he knew it, he was alone. He looked around, but it was just him in that room. There was nothing there to stop the Joker's words from manifesting his head.

"Where were you when she needed you the most?" the small voice in his head accused. "She was counting on you, and now she's dead because of you. It is all your fault."

"Jo…" he whispered hoarsely into the darkness. "I'm so sorry. I should have been there."

"She'll never forgive you. And now you'll die alone in here."

Jason lowered his head. He began to cry. Only the dead silence was there for him.

* * *

 _Gotham City. Present Day._

The control center for the missile launcher's blast shields was currently being guarded by a swarm of the Arkham Knight's militia. That wouldn't be a problem. They were more of a hindrance than an obstacle.

He knew what he had to do. Get up to the control center, take down the missile launcher, send out the Batwing, and find the Cloudburst. After that infernal thing was destroyed, he'd be able to go straight after Scarecrow and make him pay for what he did to Barbara.

Batman glanced up at where the control room was as he laid another unconscious militiaman down. He was getting close; there were only a handful of men left standing between him and his goal.

Running to a corner, he crouched down next to the wall and listened. His detective vision had told him that there had been a few men around this corner, yet he couldn't hear anything. He risked a peek. Beyond the corner, a few knocked out men law sprawled across the floor. Batman rose to his feet. He knew that he had not been in this area before. Someone else was here. Tim was still at the movie studios, and Dick was currently tracking down Penguin's weapon caches. He knew exactly who it was.

"I didn't think you would come back," he said to seemingly no one. "Still, it's too dangerous. You should limit your involvement."

"Since when did I start taking orders from you, Batman?" a female voice answered. She appeared in front of him. He took a brief moment to study her. She was just as he remembered, and yet this was not the same Jocelyn Drei he remembered from those years back. Her robotic left arm was a harsh reminder of that.

"You're heading up to the control panel, right?" Jocelyn looked up at where it was above them. "Go on ahead. I've taken care of the last of them."

"You need to get out," Batman ordered as he walked past her. "Once the Arkham Knight realizes this unit isn't responding, this place will be hot with militia presence. They'll be looking for me, but they won't spare you."

The Specter walked after him. "Ah, the Arkham Knight. I had a run-in with him earlier tonight. I could've offed him right then and there if he hadn't cheated."

"You're in my city now," Batman reminded. "And you'll play by my rules if you want to remain an ally."

"Of course," the Specter sighed. "Why do you think I spared these morons?" As they entered the control room, she looked around. "These guys aren't playing around. It looks like someone had money to burn. Hordes of drones prowling the streets, advanced weaponry, and now these crazy things. I've never faced a group this well off before."

Batman paused for a second, and then continued lowering the blast shields. "What have you been up to these past couple of years?" he asked. "After you left Gotham?"

The Specter watched from the window as the missile launcher's blast shields folded down. The blue glow from her mask reflected sharply off the glass. "Axiom," she answered. "You ever heard of them?"

"No."

"Then we did our job well. We were an international anti-terrorist group. An anti-Signet, if you will."

"Were?"

"The organization disbanded half a year ago. Nothing good ever lasts, I suppose."

Suddenly, Verlix spoke over the comms link. "Heads up," he warned. "You've got company headed your way."

"Who is it?" the Specter asked.

"Our good friend."

The Specter looked over to Batman and opened her mouth to tell him the news. Then she stopped. Who was she kidding? He probably already knew.

"You should get out of here," Batman said, still operating the Batmobile. "They'll be expecting just me. They won't notice you if you get out now."

"And you?"

"I have some unfinished business."

* * *

Predictable. It was almost disappointing how easy it was to read the old man's movements. As soon as the first radar tower went down, he knew Batman would eventually make his way to the missile launcher. Now all that was left was to corner him and take him down.

The Arkham Knight briskly made his way up the stairs to the control room. A few men were already waiting by the door. A tingling, feral feeling crawled its way through him. Scarecrow wanted the Batman to be taken in alive, but now that he was so close… Well, he couldn't guarantee anything.

With a kick, he sent the doors flying open. Immediately, he saw that the room was empty. The Arkham Knight walked in and looked around. The blast shield controls showed obvious signs of tampering. Other than that, the room looked deserted.

In an instant, his head turned sharply to the side. It had felt as though something had moved past him. He glanced over his shoulder at the open doors.

"Sir?" one of the men asked hesitantly.

"Raise the shields," the Arkham Knight snapped, looking ahead. He decided to let it go. It was not her he was after tonight.

Bringing a hand up to his ear, he spoke into his communicator, "Sir, the launcher is secure."

* * *

 _ **Addendum: Alright, alright, alright! And we're back!**_

 _ **What? A new chapter? What? It didn't take a lifetime and a half to get posted? WHAT? IT'S THREE IN THE MORNING AND I SHOULD GO TO SLEEP?**_

 _ **... Actually, that sounds like a good idea.**_


	18. Chapter 18 - Under the Mask

He stumbled away from the control room, his breathing haggard. A hand was gingerly pressed against his raw throat. For a decrepit old man, Bruce sure had a steely grip. The confrontation they had in the control room only lasted for a few seconds, but it was still reeling through his mind as he distanced himself from that place. The Arkham Knight wasn't worried about being followed; he had left a squadron of men to keep Batman busy.

It was clear that the missile launcher was lost. Now was the time to push forward and activate the Cloudburst.

At the thought of the Cloudburst, the Knight suddenly remembered something else. Back at the control room, he was certain that someone had passed by him. And that only meant one thing: she was still in the city.

He hated everything in his past. All the people he knew, the memories he had, and especially Gotham. He wanted this damn city to drown. But he had never wanted her to be a part of this.

And before he knew it, the Arkham Knight realized that his feet had taken him to a peculiar place. He was not back at command. He was standing at the entrance to a very long and dark tunnel. Without hesitation, he plunged into the black.

He had no idea if she would even be here. But he knew who would be.

As expected, the retina scanner had been deactivated. The door was sealed, and if he tried to open it by force, it would bring the whole tunnel down over his head. There was only one thing left to do. Raising a fist up, he slammed it against the hidden door. Then again. And again. The knocks reverberated through the tunnel.

When the knocks ceased, there was no answer. Only silence. But he wouldn't take that for an answer. The Arkham Knight banged against the door again.

Then there was a voice in his ear. "I assumed it was explicitly clear that you are not welcome here. Nor will you ever be," Verlix stated through the comms link.

"You two need to get out of my city. Now. Or else she dies." He didn't want to mention the Cloudburst, or sound overly concerned about her.

"What's the danger? Surely it wouldn't be an explosive dispersion of fear gas, would it? These schematics for this nuclear farting machine are quite… interesting." Suddenly, the AI's tone turned dark. "You disappoint me. Really, you do, Mr. Todd."

Underneath his mask, the Knight's face tensed. "I don't think facial recognition helped you this time."

"I didn't need your face. Just your eye."

"You're not connected to the retina scanner."

"I don't need to be. You didn't hack or disrupt the scanner. You merely _used_ it. I just need to know that much." There was a pause, and then Verlix continued, "She thinks you dead, just like everyone else. I'm not going to tell her otherwise."

"You think I care what you tell her?"

"Of course not. But I care what _you_ tell _her_. It would be better if she continues to believe that Jason Todd is dead, because as far as I'm concerned, he is. This villain before me just happens to share his name."

The Arkham Knight's hands tightened. "You have no idea what I've been through. What I'm doing is justified."

"Yes, I'm sure Signet shared your philosophies." The mention of that name sparked rage within him. He drew a fist back and punched the wall with all his might. The boom cracked the air like a gunshot.

" _This city is going to burn_ , along with every last hero that tries to stop me!" he roared. "I've warned you. If you get caught in the flames, my back stays turned." He turned and marched away. Verlix said nothing. It didn't matter. That stubborn machine could rot in his cavern for all the Arkham Knight cared.

There was an incoming call from Scarecrow. "What is delaying you?" his impatient voice demanded. "If the launcher has been compromised as you say, then we have precious little time before Batman locates the Cloudburst." The Arkham Knight gave a little frown. Crane's obsession with the Cloudburst often bordered on annoying.

He opened another channel to one of his lieutenants. "What's the status on alpha target?" he asked.

"The Batwing has been spotted patrolling the skies over Founder's Island," the lieutenant responded. "Judging by its continued orbit, it still hasn't located the Cloudburst yet. I'm not sure how long that'll last, though. Alpha target himself has gone missing."

The Arkham Knight switched back to Scarecrow's channel. "Batman's distracted. The Cloudburst isn't in any immediate danger."

"We still have a schedule to keep."

"Rest assured, we'll choke these streets."

"Don't keep me waiting."

* * *

She had heard enough. When she had first seen him exiting the tunnel from a distance, she decided to keep an eye on him. But hearing him say those words infuriated her. He was nothing but a terrorist.

As soon as the Arkham Knight cut his channels, she sprang out of the cloak and tackled him. He let out a grunt as they hit the ground. Her robotic arm gripped his neck. One of his arms was pinned by her other arm, the other by her foot. The Arkham Knight let out a few choked breaths as he pulled at her bionic limb. He was never going to budge it.

The Specter didn't say a word as her robotic hand slowly clenched. A bit more pressure, and his windpipe and arteries would be completely obstructed. A little more, and they would be crushed. Then, just a little bit more, and his spine would shatter.

But she kept her hand at a place that would allow him to sputter. Now that she had him here, how should this monster die? Perhaps she could melt a hole through his helmet with her laser? Or maybe bleed him out with her hidden blade?

"You don't deserve the luxury of a quick death," she hissed down at him. "Before you do in hell, I want you to suffer among the living."

The Arkham Knight's gasps started to change. It sounded like he was trying to say something. "J-J…. J…."

The Specter's hand tightened. All sound was cut off. "Batman might've showed you mercy, but you don't deserve any. You'll never hurt anyone again."

One of the Knight's hands left her arm and scrabbled at the side of his helmet. Finally, it seemed to hit its target. The Specter watched as the blue helmet underneath her slide away to reveal the face underneath. And what she saw scared her more than anything.

She immediately let go. Rising to her feet, she stumbled back. The Arkham Knight let out a few weak coughs and pulled in deep breaths. With shaking arms, he pushed himself up. The Specter blinked, but the illusion wouldn't go away. She looked down at her open hands.

"Jo," the voice was hoarse, but it was his.

"Wh-what are you trying to do?" she demanded tearfully. She couldn't look up at him. It wasn't real; it was just a bad dream.

Whirling around, she raced away. Her legs brought her to the shelter of darkness. She phased right through the hidden door and raced down the stairs. When she finally reached the ground, she collapsed onto her knees.

"What happened?" Verlix didn't sound shocked, only sad.

Jocelyn pulled her helmet off, and the lights illuminated her wet face. "I… I think I was gassed again," she stammered. "I didn't think it could get any worse."

Verlix's voice was soft. "You weren't."

"I _was!_ " Jocelyn insisted.

There was no reply from Verlix at first. Then, one of his screens lit up. It showed the schematics of a Cobra tank that was taken from one of the stolen chips. "I've finished my analysis," he announced, changing the subject.

Jocelyn rose slowly to her feet. "So what have you learned?"

"Very little, to be honest. But it was enough." The schematics zoomed into the Cobra drone, highlighting a small little chip that was located just above the underbelly of the tank. "As you know, everything out there is operated via signal. They are all remotely operated from a control board that feeds commands into this little chip. The chip and the signals are designed with the highest security measures, however. I'm sure Batman didn't break a sweat trying to find a way to disrupt these signals, but an old machine like me takes a while. I think these schematics have told me how to override these drones. Block out the signals from the militia, and direct my own influence into that chip."

Jocelyn placed her helmet back on and walked over to the screens. "So basically, you know how to take over one of their drones?"

"Not just any drone. The mother of drones," Verlix said smugly.

"Then what are you waiting for?"

"The right time. The less time the enemy knows about a secret weapon, the better," Verlix answered. Jocelyn dropped her head and turned away. She took a few steps before something caught her eye. Something was on the ground—a photograph.

Her breath caught in her throat. The picture's faded surface showed two faces. One of them was what she had seen underneath that helmet. But it was only a nightmare; it _had_ to be! She rushed over the picture and snatched it up. Her tense hands gripped the top of the photograph, prepared to tear it apart. But her hands loosened. Then she just held it, looking down at the image.

Suddenly, she pressed it against herself. "How long has it been, Verl?" she whispered. "And I'm still trapped like this."

"Hush, hush," Verlix soothed. "Now tell me what you saw out there."

"I…" Jocelyn began. "I was going to kill him. And then the Arkham Knight was… he was…" She looked back down at the photograph. "But that can't be possible. After I woke up, they told me what happened. I sat in front of his grave! What's going on?"

"And despite what I said, I knew this was inevitable," Verlix sighed.

"You knew?"

"I… had an idea."

Jocelyn placed the photograph facedown on a nearby table. "I just wish it wasn't true," she said. "If it's really him… What has he become?" She closed her eyes. "Maybe I really was gassed."

"There's only one way to find out," Verlix said. "But now is not the time. I fear they are almost ready to detonate the Cloudburst. Even phasing won't be able to save you from that." Jocelyn heard metal clicks and hissing coming from the top of the stairs. "I'm securing the doors as best I can."

"So what? I sit down here until the gas clears up? Who knows how long that will take!"

"If you would rather stay up on the surface and claw your eyes out, be my guest," Verlix replied dryly.

* * *

Nightwing heaved a sigh as he watched another one of Penguin's weapons trucks drive off. The routes of these convoys were starting to become painfully obvious. He lowered himself over the edge of the roof, his legs dangling down. He watched the delivery truck drive away. Every fiber in his body wanted to go after the truck, but he couldn't without Bruce. That was Batman for you—such a control freak.

Looking around, the city looked almost peaceful. Well, if one was to exclude the smoking remains of the chemical plant, the giant, freakish mutant trees, and that weird burning bat signal in the distance. What was that about? Did Bruce make that? He always had a flair for the dramatic.

A voice echoed down from the streets. Nightwing looked down. Far below him, a weak straggler wandered down the sidewalk. He was a sorry sight to see.

"What's the point?" the straggler was crying out. "What's the point anymore? The streets are empty; the good are dead! They've won! What's the point?"

Nightwing frowned as he listened to the man's lamentation. He looked back up at the city skyline. Gotham sure looked peaceful—the way a corpse was.

* * *

 _ **Addendum: This chapter took a while again. Sorry. I had three exams in the past week. You could stick a fork in my brain; it's done.**_

 _ **The Arkham Knight got choked out twice in the span of a few hours. Cheryl would be jealous.**_


	19. Chapter 19 - Tag Team

The world held its breath as it watched Gotham City. When the city became engulfed in the toxin, the world lost hope. It could see nothing but the despair and defeat that the fear gas caused. But hidden within the walls of the city of fear, unseen by the rest of the globe, was resistance. A second tree was freed from the ground. It weakened the concentration of gas, but only by a small degree.

That was all Batman needed. The Batmobile sped through the dead streets, cutting through the smog. If he wanted to free the city, he'd have to cut the toxin off at its source. The Cloudburst was on Bleake Island, and so was the Arkham Knight.

This time, Batman had every intention of ending it. He had Alfred raise the bridges so that the Arkham Knight would have nowhere to run. The Knight and the Cloudburst were hiding behind a swarm of Cobra tanks.

But the tanks proved to be quite trying this time. The Batmobile had already taken a hit, and he wasn't sure how much more the vehicle could take.

Time was not on his side either. The more he hesitated, the worse the situation became. The Arkham Knight became aware of his hit-and-run strategy and had ordered the tank operators to destroy all cover in the area. The Cobra tanks plowed through walls and toppled buildings. Batman found himself running out of places to hide. And to make matters worse, whenever he took down a tank, the others would come swarming in as though they had caught the scent of blood.

After meticulous work, another tank lay in a smoldering heap. Batman raced away from a Cobra tank that was hot on his trail. The Batmobile bounced heavily as it climbed over the crumbled ruins of a building. Then, in front of him, a large silhouette appeared. Batman turned hard on the steering wheel veered off to the side as the Arkham Knight's tank fired and hit the ground where the Batmobile was just seconds ago.

He swerved again. This time, a missile passed by him, inches from his window. Batman struggled with the wheel as he fought to keep the Batmobile moving forward after that sharp turn. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a tank flanking him from the right. Another one appeared on his left. Then, there was yet another one in front of him. Batman gritted his teeth as he watched the Cobra tank in front of him turn its turret towards him. He switched the Batmobile into reverse, but he wasn't sure if he could escape all the tanks in time. His thumb hovered over the eject button as he watched three red projection lines train on him.

Suddenly, there was an explosion next to him. The Cobra tank that had been on his right was nothing but burning wreckage. Less than a second later, Batman caught sight of something whizzing by above the Batmobile. The tank to his left was quickly no more. Batman slammed down on the accelerator and shot backwards right as a different Cobra tank rammed into the one that had been in front of him. The first tank flipped onto its side and smashed its turret into the ground. Then, the second tank backed up a few feet and fired at the downed drone. The explosion shook the air.

"What the hell is going on?" Batman heard the Arkham Knight demand hotly over the channel. "I've got a rogue Cobra over here. It just took out three of my drones!"

"Sir I… We lost control of the drone. Some outside interference overrode my signal!"

"Who? No one could hack into a Cobra tank!"

There was a familiar laugh. It was coming from an open broadcast. "If machines can be reincarnated," Verlix said gleefully, "then _please_ make me one of these things!"

The Arkham Knight let out a frustrated shout. "You've gotten into my way long enough!"

"On the contrary, we're just getting started. Come on, then. It takes two to tango." Verlix's tank whirled around and wheeled into the smog. Then, on a different channel, Verlix said, "Batman, I'll hold his attention. You do what you do best." From the fog there was the bright flash and loud boom as the Cobra tank fired. Then came a brighter, reciprocating fire from the Arkham Knight.

It was then Batman received an incoming call from Alfred. "Sir, it appears the Cloudburst has been attached directly onto the Arkham Knight's personal tank," he said as the Batwing's scanned schematics of the Cloudburst were transferred onto Batman's monitor. It didn't look too good. The Cloudburst-tank combination proved to be powerful. He needed to find a weakness, or the city would never be purged.

"How is it operating?" Batman asked. As strong as it was, the Cloudburst couldn't be invincible.

And he was right. Alfred revealed a coolant system attached to the Cloudburst that was exposed. He didn't need a straight shot at the device's power source. He just needed to go for the coolant system; without it, the Cloudburst would overheat and destroy itself.

"Verlix," he said. "I've found a weakness with the Cloudburst. I'm going to target its coolant system. Keep his back turned to me."

"I'll see what I can do," Verlix replied.

Batman cautiously approached the two battling tanks. A missile flew from the Arkham Knight and slammed into the Cobra tank, causing pieces of steel to fly in all directions. Thankfully, the Cobra tank had been built to take a good amount of abuse. Verlix fired back, but only managed to create a harmless explosion on the surface of the Arkham Knight's armor.

However, to Batman's surprise, the turret of the Arkham Knight's tank quickly turned towards him. "There you are," the Knight snarled. "Don't think I'm not aware of your little game. I knew you'd try to sneak up on me sooner or later." The Arkham Knight's tracking laser focused on him. The laser turned red as the tank prepared to fire.

There was a shuddering boom. The tracking laser veered away as the turret was jerked to the side from the Cobra tank's shot.

"I'm sick of your interference!" the Arkham Knight snapped. "You're nothing but outdated software, and you were never in control." Over the militia's broadcast, they heard him say, "Sergeant, disable the drone."

"I can't, sir! The Cobra's central command's been overridden."

"Then shut down firing capabilities."

"Yes sir."

"Huh," Verlix mused. "It seems I've been declawed. But that doesn't make you any less safe." Almost immediately, Batman fired. The small device located on the side of the Cloudburst, the coolant system, lit up in flames as it took its first hit. Immediately, the Arkham Knight searched vehemently for the Batmobile. It had already disappeared into the fog.

"Knight, what do you think you're doing?" Scarecrow hissed through the line. "Stop this nonsense. You are putting the Cloudburst in jeopardy! It is NOT bait!"

"I know what I'm doing," the Arkham Knight argued back. "Batman's _mine_."

"You will get your chance to destroy him."

"I'm done waiting."

The Knight was a fast learner. Batman managed to fire another shot at the coolant system before being vigorously chased down by the Arkham Knight's tank. But after that, he never gave Batman another chance to hit him. Whenever Verlix tried to interfere by ramming into the Cloudburst, the Knight would hit him with a shot. It wasn't long before Verlix's tank retreated into the smog in critical condition.

This was bad. The coolant system was damaged, but it wouldn't fall apart without a few more hits from Batman's cannon. However, the Arkham Knight was making it impossible for him to get near enough to line up a shot.

"I'm not looking too good," Verlix noted. "Another hit and I'm toast."

"Just stay away from the Knight," Batman said. "I'll find a way to take him out."

"No, all this damage is a _good_ thing," Verlix clarified. "Given our current situation, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect solution."

"What solution?"

"They disabled my turret, but I've still got a huge missile payload stored in the belly of this tank," Verlix explained. "That payload gets exposed and especially deadly when I open the ammunition bay. I may no longer be a tank, but I'm a rolling bomb. But even with that, I can't hurt the Cloudburst. The Arkham Knight will shoot and destroy me before I can get close enough to cause any damage. And you've got the same exact problem."

Verlix's plan was becoming clear to Batman. "But if we both come at him at the same time, he can only fire at one of us."

"Exactly. And from that little conversation with Crane, I have a feeling I know which one of us he'll choose. But here's the thing: I can't detonate without a little firepower."

"I've got you covered."

"Best of luck."

Batman pushed downed on the accelerator and shot out of the tunnel that he had taken refuge in. His radar showed the Cloudburst. Another figure—Verlix's tank—was moving towards the Cloudburst. It was now or never. Batman turned sharply on the wheel and made a beeline towards the Arkham Knight.

He saw the scanner of the Knight's tank focus on him and turn red. The Arkham Knight oriented his tank so that the coolant system pointed directly away from the Batmobile. "There you are," the Arkham Knight snarled. Batman knew that he had only seconds before the tank's targeting system would get a lock and fire.

Then, emerging from behind the Cloudburst, came the battered Cobra tank. Batman's hand left the steering wheel and hit a switch just as a burst of fire emerged from the Arkham Knight's turret. The Batmobile's wheels turned 90 degrees, and the vehicle dodged swiftly to the side as the missile flew past him. Without a moment to spare, Batman slammed his fist into the button. A single shot hurtled from his cannon, past the Cloudburst, and into the exposed Cobra tank.

A flash of brilliant light lighted up the Batmobile's windshield. Batman heard the deafening boom and felt his body lurch forward as the Batmobile was pushed backwards by the force of the explosion.

But there was no time to collect his senses and evaluate what had just happened. Now that the coolant system had been destroyed, the Cloudburst would overheat in seconds. The Arkham Knight was in that tank.

"Did it work?" Verlix asked as Batman leaped out of the Batmobile. "I don't exactly have eyes up there anymore."

"It's about to blow. He's still in there!" Batman said. He saw the Arkham Knight climb out from the driver's hatch. Weak from the explosion, the Knight slumped over the top of the tank before he could escape. Batman climbed over the tank and grabbed the Arkham Knight by his shoulder guard. With the grapple gun, he pulled the both of them up and away just as he heard the explosion behind them.

* * *

"Of course he would save his life," Verlix mumbled to himself. "He's a better man than me… If I were a man. Though I suppose I would make an exception this time. The fool still owes us some answers, doesn't he?" He turned his camera to Jocelyn. She stared at the ground. "You did good," she mumbled.

"Is that it?"

"What is there to say?" she asked quietly. "I'm just confused."

"Tell me what you're feeling."

"Conflicted," Jocelyn admitted. "That man out there is a monster. If anyone from Axiom were still here, they'd kill him without a second thought. Part of me hopes that it really isn't him." Her shoulders dropped. "But after I woke up and heard that he was… My first thought was that I should have just died from that injury. That you shouldn't have saved me. I had wished so badly that he was still here. So part of me hopes that he's alive."

"I understand," Verlix assured. "Now that the Cloudburst has been destroyed, it won't be long before the toxin clears. We'll find out soon enough."

* * *

 _ **Addendum: Michael Bay would approve of this chapter.**_

 _ **I know that the actual Cloudburst-tank boss fight in Arkham Knight was a lot simpler than this, but I feel like the enemy was dumbed down for the sake of the player. Realistically (or as realistic as this wacky-ass situation can get), I'm pretty sure the Arkham Knight would've been able to fend off the Batmobile pretty well.**_

 _ **Also, final exams are upon us! Aaaah! Save yourselves!**_


	20. Chapter 20 - Death of the Arkham Knight

It was early in the morning by the time the gas cleared, but she could hardly tell. Everything was still dark, cloudy, and wet.

The glowing blue lines of her helmet emerged slowly from the mouth of the tunnel. The Specter directed her eyes up to the sky. The air was filled with spores and traces of neutralized toxin. They drifted like ash after a fire. It was almost surreal to watch.

She looked ahead. The reality of what was happening returned to her when she saw them scattered on the streets. The dead seemed to go on forever. She hadn't realized how many had been stranded in Gotham. Before the dispersion of the gas, they had all been hiding. Then, when their nests flooded, out came the drowned rats.

As the Specter walked through the streets, she glanced down at the bodies she passed. Many of them lay in rigor mortis, their rigid faces contorted into expressions of fear. Toxin overdose was most likely the cause of their deaths. They were the lucky ones.

She tore her eyes away from a corpse that showed obvious signs of self-mutilation. Her hands felt cold and clammy, and her breaths shook. This kind of terror and desolation was unreal. She couldn't fathom the breed of evil that could have caused this kind of suffering. This had been the work of Scarecrow. And the Arkham Knight.

Whoever that man was, he needed to die. After this, there could be no retribution for him. The Specter made up her made. When next she saw him, she'd kill him.

"Verlix," she said into her headset. "Give me his location."

"It's difficult to pinpoint," Verlix replied. "His last broadcast over the militia channel came from an abandoned mall. Ryker Heights district."

"When was it?"

"About an hour ago."

The Specter sighed. "It's a good a lead as any." She picked up her pace to a light sprint.

"When you find him…" Verlix began uneasily.

"I'm ending it," the Specter replied in a tone that held finality.

"I see." He didn't object. That worried her.

Lost in her thoughts, she barely had time to catch herself as she rounded a corner and spotted a patrolling militia team. The Specter quickly pulled herself back and pressed herself against the side of the building. She could hear the grinding of the drone's treads and the footsteps of the soldiers drawing closer.

"—ly had no idea he was just a kid," one of them was saying. The Specter cloaked just as they passed by.

"That's no excuse. Did you see him? After Scarecrow took the commissioner from the roof?"

"Yeah. He was broken. Crying. It was pathetic. And what's up with that red mask?"

The Specter slipped past them and headed towards the opposite direction. The building Verlix mentioned was just a few blocks away. It sounded like the mall had been the hub of activity recently. Scarecrow, Batman, and Commissioner Gordon had all been there. And no doubt the Arkham Knight, still hot on Batman's trail, had been there too.

Suddenly, she stopped. She turned and faced a building. It was an apartment complex. The building itself ran around in a square and had a courtyard in the center. The entrance to the courtyard was collapsed and completely obstructed by the rubble. She glanced towards the direction of the shopping mall, and then looked back at the apartment. Why did she stop here? She couldn't quite find an answer, but…

The Specter stepped through the rubble. When she walked into the courtyard, she found that she wasn't alone.

He was sitting on the edge of the dry, cracked fountain. Leaning forward, he was resting his forearms on his knees. His head was hung low and his shoulders were hunched forward. The red mask was raised, but his face was turned away from her. The still air was peppered by his quiet sobs.

There he was. The Arkham… no, that couldn't be the man she was trying to kill. That wasn't the Arkham Knight. It was Jason.

Jocelyn reached up and pulled her helmet off. She stood there, watching him with her own eyes. Her heart broke watching him. There was nothing Jocelyn wanted more than to run to him and comfort him, the man who had destroyed the city and killed so many. Was it the wrong thing to do? Did it make her a horrible person? It didn't matter to her anymore; she was only human. She walked towards him. The dry leaves announced her approach, and she didn't bother to try and hide it. When he heard her, he looked up at her and quickly ducked his head away.

"Get away from me," he demanded through gritted teeth. Jocelyn ignored him and sat down next to him. "It's okay," she murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He drew away from her. " _Don't touch me!_ " Jason snapped.

With a sharp tug, Jocelyn pulled him back. She pressed the side of her face against his. "I'll fucking touch you if I want to," she hissed playfully into his ear.

Jason pushed at her. Jocelyn let him go. He stood up and walked away, holding his head in his hands. "Just go away. Leave me alone," he said weakly. Jocelyn remained sitting on the fountain's edge, watching him sadly.

"I'm sorry I tried to kill you," she apologized in a soft voice.

"Maybe you were right to do that," Jason said bitterly. "I thought I was… What am I?"

Jocelyn got up and took a step after him. "You're the one who saved me from certain death," she said. "The one who used a piece of silicon to get a date with me. Don't you remember?"

"That's not me," he said heavily.

"Yes it is."

"No it isn't!" Jason shouted, whirling around. " _Look at me!_ " He pointed at his face. It was then Jocelyn noticed for the first time the burned 'J' scar. "That guy you're talking about? He's dead! Killed by the Joker because no one was there for him! Not even you! If you weren't dead, then _where the hell were you?_ " Jocelyn was stunned. His words cut deep. The exact thought had haunted her all these years. It had caused countless sleepless nights and tears. But not today. Now, she only felt rage.

"I could ask you the same thing!" she shot back. "At least I didn't come back a raving lunatic!"

"I wanted revenge! I deserve that much!"

"Revenge? Look at what you've done!" She gestured sharply with an extended arm. "How could you do this?"

The anger on Jason's face was slowly slipping away, replaced by a torn expression. "Because I thought I lost you!"

"And that makes this okay?"

"Yes! … No, I…" There was so much pain twisted in his face. He turned away. "I… I don't know. I just felt like the world had just left me to die. So I wanted to hurt it back." Jason hung his head. "Yeah, I know you probably think I'm the biggest piece of shit ever. Whatever. I've lost everything. I couldn't even take down the Batman. I'm through."

"Jason—."

"Just get out of here."

"I've missed you."

He raised his head. He turned to look at her but hesitated. "I missed you too, Jo," he said quietly. Suddenly, Jocelyn crossed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him. She felt him tense up. Then he turned and hugged her back. "God, I missed you so much."

She looked up at him. "Then come here, you piece of shit." With a hand, she pulled his head down and kissed him. For a moment, everything seemed all right. When they parted, Jocelyn caught sight of the scar on his cheek again. She reached up and gingerly placed a hand over it. "I'm sorry," she said.

Jason pressed his own hand over hers. "It was never your fault." He reached over and brushed her hair, which was damp from the drizzle. "Are you cold?"

"I'm fine now," Jocelyn said. "But let's go home."

"Home?"

With a small smile, Jocelyn backed away and tugged at his hand. "Yeah, home. Come on." Jason didn't move.

"But what about Verlix?"

"What about him? He's not going to try and kill you, if that's what you're worried about."

"Yeah, but he probably hates me."

"He's always hated you," Jocelyn pointed out with a light laugh.

Reluctantly, Jason began to follow her. "That's not exactly what I want to hear."

* * *

The city was in such a horrid state that it was difficult to keep a good surveillance on her. Most of the CCTV cameras had been destroyed, and air traffic was heavy with signal jammers and noise. The only thing he could really do was track her location.

It nearly fried his circuits not being able to know what was going on up on the surface. But when he finally saw that she was heading back to the tunnel, he felt as though he could breathe a sigh of relief. Still, he couldn't help but worry about what kind of state she'd return in. When last they spoke, Jocelyn had made it very clear what she had planned to do. Did she go through with it? The more Verlix pondered, the more anxious he became.

He detected the opening of the tunnel door. He knew that Jocelyn had entered the lair. But he didn't expect what came next. There was a second person. The last person he thought he'd see.

The instant they came into view, Verlix immediately scanned Jocelyn for any sign of injury. Thankfully, there were no new ones. Then he scanned Jason almost out of mechanical reflex, though he hardly cared. The man appeared to have a few large bruises over his body.

"The lair has numerous defense mechanisms," Verlix announced loudly before anyone could say anything. "If you think your men have any chance of barging in here again, you'd be sorely mistaken."

"No you don't," Jason replied darkly, his eyes averted away.

The AI was less than pleased that he had been called out on his bluff. "Get him out of here," he said sternly. "He's not welcomed here."

A disappointed look crossed Jocelyn's face. "Verlix, please. Jason needs help."

"He is an enemy. _A villain_. And BEFORE you bring up any arguments," he continued loudly when he saw Jocelyn open her mouth to object, "keep in mind that the past is in the past. Besides, this kind of cowardice doesn't deserve second chances."

Jason stepped in front of Jocelyn, glaring directly at Verlix's camera. "Cut it out," he snapped. "Can't you see you're hurting her?"

"Of course, you would know all about hurting people."

"I'm not going to argue with you," Jason growled. "I know what you're like. You're just a computer program; you'll never be capable of real emotions. You can sit there and spit out all the hateful words you want, but in the end you'll do what Jo wants. You wanna know why? Because that's all you were made for."

"You're right," Verlix replied grouchily. "For once."

" _Stop it_ ," Jocelyn demanded stonily. "Both of you. Can't you see there's a war going on above the surface? And here you two are, squabbling! Verl, Jason's realized he made a mistake. He's lost so much. He thought I was dead! How would you have reacted if I had died? You probably would have wrecked more havoc than any villain in Gotham could ever be capable of! And Jason." She turned to him. "Verlix is just trying to protect me. After my mother died, I was all he had left! So would the both of you try to understand each other for once?" She whirled around. "They've probably replaced the Arkham Knight by now, so Scarecrow still has control over the city. I'm going back up to see if there's anything I can still do." Jocelyn stormed back up the stairs. The tunnel door was slammed so hard, the bang reverberated through the lair for a few seconds.

After a moment's silence, Verlix muttered, "Nice going, ass."

* * *

 _ **Addendum: Yeah, ASS.**_

 _ **Just imagine if Verlix was a villain. He'd do all sorts of terrible things, like shutting down everyone's wifi. Then what would we do? Go outside? Nooo! Anything but that!**_


	21. Chapter 21 - A Little Heart-To-Heart

The last hour had been agonizingly quiet. A dull, thudding pain was starting to grow in his back. During his last encounter with Batman in the abandoned mall, he had taken a nasty fall. Up until now, there had been so much to keep Jason distracted from the pain. Now, there was nothing hiding it from him. With a strained grunt, Jason lowered himself onto the ground and sat against the wall. It didn't really help with his condition.

"Lean forward," Verlix instructed, breaking the long silence. "Keep your back slightly stretched. It's only a bruise. There's an ice pack in the freezer if you need it."

"What's with the sudden hospitality?" Jason asked. "I figured you'd savor my pain."

"Then you don't know me at all." Verlix paused. "I've been trying to take Jocelyn's words seriously, you know."

"Good for you." Jason leaned forward. Pain flared down his back. He pressed his lips together, determined not to show any discomfort.

"I've been listening to the militia's broadcasts," Verlix continued. "It seems Scarecrow is less than pleased with you. He's declared you a traitor and an enemy."

Jason closed his eyes. "I know," he said. "There's no turning back now." He looked up at the camera. It wasn't like looking at a pair of eyes; it seemed mechanical, lifeless. "Listen, I know this won't make much of a difference or change anything, but… I just want to say… uh… well, sorry. For everything I've done."

There was no response. Jason looked away. He should have known the AI wouldn't think anything of his apology. Verlix wasn't human, wasn't real. Instead, he changed his thoughts to Jocelyn. What was she doing up on the surface? Was she okay?

From the moment she stepped into Gotham, she had been helping Batman. Bruce had abandoned her too, but she held nothing against him. And she had been so quick to forgive Jason too. In the past, he would have called her weak and feeble-minded, but now he realized that she knew better than to let her own anger get in the way. And that was exactly what Jason had done.

He struggled to his feet. "I'm going back up," he announced. "There has to be something I can do."

"Don't be ridiculous," Verlix objected. "GCPD has long since identified you as an enemy, and now you have Scarecrow's men after you as well. The surface is the last place you want to be right now. You're staying right where you are."

"I've looked after myself for years. Stop trying to protect me. I'm not defenseless!" Jason snapped.

"You're not, but you're hurt. It's better if we wait." Jason ignored Verlix as he headed for the stairs. "Mr. Todd. I think I understand now." Jason hesitated.

Without turning, he asked, "What do you mean?"

"I've been trying to see how a boy like you could turn into the man you are now, but for the longest time I could not. There is a gap of undeterminable variables in my string of deliberation. There was no way I could understand the feeling of betrayal or pain. But I have come up with a close substitute. Remember back to all those years ago. You see, before I accessed the memories on that data stick, I held a rogue bunch of code that floated within me for years. I could not understand that code and what it meant for the longest time. Then, when I regained my memories, when I remembered Amanda Drei, it all became clear to me. The rogue thought was the grief and hurt I carried with me when I learned of Amanda's death. It was shocking that even when I could not remember why, I still felt and held onto the immense sorrow. But I imagine that it hardly holds a candle to what real human pain feels like. It is understandable how such emotions can drive you down that kind of path."

Jason sat down on the stairs. " _Feelings_ aren't what made me. A man who lives on his emotions is a fool," he stated bitterly.

"It is what makes that man a human being," Verlix said. "I admit I am a bit envious of that ability."

"You care about Jocelyn, don't you?"

"I am programmed to care and protect her as a parent would do with their child. As a result, I emulate emotions and behaviors towards her that resemble compassion and protectiveness. But that's as close as I can get: an imitation."

"Feels like the real deal," Jason remarked.

"Thank you."

"Can I ask you something?"

"What would you like to know?"

Jason stood up. He pulled the red helmet off from his head and walked over to Verlix's terminal. There was something laying on top of one of the computer's keyboards: the photograph. The two of them. In happier days. Jason set the helmet down next to it. His hand passed over to the photograph's worn surface, and he rested his fingertips on it. "I went to the lumber mill. I saw the video. But if Signet didn't kill her, then what happened?"

"It was a very close call," Verlix began. On a screen, a two-dimensional diagram of a human female body appeared. The left arm of the diagram flashed red. "I could not stop what they had already done. You saw it. You can still see it." The two-dimensional diagram was replaced by a three-dimensional schematic of the Specter's bionic arm. "That device has given her abilities that place her far above her foes, but to me it is a grotesque reminder of my failure." The screen went blank.

"But you saved her, didn't you? Tell me what happened."

The room dimmed. A single light lit up at the far end of the room. Jason turned to it. The light was focused on a glass panel, and behind it, the android. "When I called you, I was not sure if you would make it in time. So I chose to bring myself back into the material world. On my way to the mill, I did not stop. When I got there, the saw was still spinning, and there was red everywhere I looked. I did my best to protect her. I got her away from those men. She was in critical condition. I was afraid that she would succumb to the blood loss."

While he listened to Verlix's recollections, a memory of his own resurfaced in Jason's mind. The video of the scene at the lumber mill had ended in a peculiar way. Jason closed his eyes as he did his best to bring back something he had long fought to suppress.

There had been an alarmed shout by one of the men. Not Jocelyn, but one of her captors. Then, the camera had been knocked onto the ground and was destroyed. But before it fell, Jason remembered seeing a dark blur dash in front of the camera. He opened his eyes and looked towards the lit glass panel. The robot standing statue-like behind it was a dark shade of brown.

"I dressed the wound as well as I could," Verlix continued. "And then I brought her back here. She was too weak to survive on her own, so I put her in there." A door slid open, revealing a small room that held nothing but a glass tube. "For three months, she stayed there while I tirelessly devoted my computing power to keep her alive. With the rest of my processing ability I used to secure us and lock us away from the world."

"No one would be able to reach her. Not even me," Jason muttered.

"I am sorry, Mr. Todd. Even contacting you would have been a risk."

"You kept her safe," Jason said with a stony face. "That's what mattered. And what about Signet?"

"I confirmed that the members in the mill were the last of Signet. They were aiming to spread fear and increase their numbers by publicizing the death of Jocelyn Drei. During the third month, Jocelyn's condition was stable enough to be maintained by an automated system. I returned to my body. Then, I left the lair myself and made sure that Signet would never hurt her again."

"You…"

Verlix played a piece of audio. It came directly from his memory. There was a whistling sound, which Jason recognized to be the sound of a missing punch. It was followed by the harsh thud of something solid striking flesh. A man's voice cried out in pain. Something hit the ground. "After you, the threat will be eliminated." It was Verlix speaking.

"I know you," the strained voice of a man said. "That woman built you for her child. You're not programmed to kill people."

"You're right," Verlix responded. "But I am programmed to protect her. And right now, you are making that very difficult for me." A gunshot. Verlix cut the audio off.

After a lull of silence, Jason piped up, "Remind me never to get in the way of your programming."

* * *

He watched as the tanks rolled by, one after the other. It was an endless lineup of drones, and he did not pity the ones who would be at the receiving end of all that firepower. After all, once GCPD and every coward hiding in there were dead, the city would absolutely be theirs. Not even Batman would be a problem.

Lieutenant General Mortuge fingered the guard of his combat knife. He couldn't wait to be up in front with all the action. Taking out the last of the police officers was going to be a thrill.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a figure approaching him. Out of reflex, Mortuge snapped his hand up to his forehead in a salute. "Commander," he greeted.

The masked man stopped beside him and crossed his arms. With a quick nod, Deathstroke placed Mortuge at ease. To his surprise, Mortuge saw a few drones—including a Cobra tank—roll up to them.

"I have a special assignment for you, Lieutenant General," Deathstroke said. "And this comes directly from Scarecrow. Take this unit. You're heading east."

"And the siege of the police department, sir?"

"There's no need to worry about that. We've more than enough to burn that place to the ground," Deathstroke replied.

"What's east, sir?"

"A traitor. Your old boss, the Arkham Knight." Deathstroke unhooked a small tablet from his belt and handed it to Mortuge. "Earlier today, one of our Cobra tanks was hacked by an outside party and used to help destroy the Cloudburst. It wasn't GCPD, Batman, or any of his companions. The tank was destroyed, but its signal receiver was recovered. We've got a backtrack on whoever took over that tank, and we have reason to believe that the Arkham Knight is with them now."

So Scarecrow wanted him to take out the Arkham Knight? He couldn't think of a more perfect opportunity. Sure, he had admired the Knight's ruthlessness while he had been in command, but they had never seen eye-to-eye. And when the Arkham Knight had become unmasked, it had truly sealed the deal. The Arkham Knight wasn't even a man, just a puling boy. And there was nothing Mortuge loved to do more than crush a weakling.

"Would you like him to be captured or killed, sir?"

"I'll leave that up to you, Lieutenant General." It was music to his ears.

* * *

 _ **Addendum: Hope you guys have had fantastic holidays. The new year is almost upon us! Here's to a great 2016!**_

 _ **Also, don't mess with Verlix. He will stir your soup something bad.**_


	22. Chapter 22 - Only One Way Out

He let out a strained grunt as he released himself from the stretch. Reaching back, Jason gingerly touched his back. "Shit like this gets real annoying," he mumbled.

"I'm _sure_ you're man enough to endure it," Verlix replied.

"Fuck you."

"It's good to see that we're back to our usual routine, then."

"Yeah." Jason wandered aimlessly, his arms crossed over his chest. "Did… you know, did she ever think about me? After?"

"Oh, not this again," Verlix said, exasperated. "I know you felt as though the world turned its back on you, but I assure you that you were remembered by many. At the very least, your file remains stored in my unfortunate memory. But I have no absolute answer to your inquiry. After we left Gotham, she never tolerated any mention of you."

"You left?"

"When she received news of your death, she spent only enough time to visit the grave that Bruce Wayne constructed for you. Then she told me that coming to this city was a mistake. We took our leave. She never looked back."

"I see," Jason mumbled as he idly inspected the gauntlets that were attached to his arms. "So where have you two been all these years?"

Verlix's tone suddenly shifted. "Apologies, but I cannot divulge that information," he stated. "It is classified."

Jason looked up at the machine. "Ah, don't give me that," he scoffed.

"Even if I wanted to, I would not be able to," Verlix expanded. "That cache of data has been locked within me. Besides, that information is not on a need-to-know basis. I could ask you the very same, Mr. Todd."

It was not really a question that Jason wanted to answer. Thankfully, he didn't have to. Verlix's screen lit up with an incoming call. The AI allowed the call to come through. The many screens suddenly showed the image of a very familiar face.

Behind her glasses, her eyes widened. She pushed a lock of reddish hair out of her face as she leaned forward to scrutinize the screen. "Jason?" Barbara Gordon gasped incredulously.

He couldn't quite find it inside of him to look at her. "Barbara," he greeted monotonously.

"What are you…? Are you okay?"

He silently wished she didn't act so caring towards him. It only made him feel worse. "I'm fine."

"You're calling from the GCPD. They have never reached out to me before," Verlix noted. "And I do not recognize you. Did Batman instruct you to contact me?"

"He did," Barbara answered. "Are you the, uh…? You're Verlix?"

"Indeed."

"Verlix, I need to tell you something. Jason, you should probably listen too." There was a loud rumble on Barbara's end. The camera quivered. "GCPD is being attacked. There's a swarm of tanks and soldiers out there right now."

"Is Jocelyn there?" Verlix demanded.

Barbara's next words came out slow and cautious. "When Batman went out to defend the building, Jocelyn joined him shortly after." There was a pause. When Barbara opened her mouth to continue, only silence followed. Then, she managed to find her voice again. "Verlix, I know she's like a daughter to you—."

"Is Jocelyn there?" Verlix repeated urgently.

"There were too many soldiers. Deathstroke was there, too. They took her." There was another shaking boom. "I'm sorry, Verlix. Batman can't leave the police department while it's like this."

"I understand," Verlix replied. Suddenly, a loading bar titled 'Protoform Uplink' appeared on the screen above Barbara's call. The bar filled at a slow and steady pace.

"What are you doing?" Jason asked. Verlix didn't answer. Rushing ahead, Jason scooped up the red helmet from the keyboard. "Where did they take her?"

"Not sure, but Batman hid a tracking device on her before she was taken," Barbara answered. "I'm sending the data from that device to you now. You should hurry; they might find the bug and destroy it before you reach her."

The bar filled completely and vanished. A noise caused Jason to turn his head. The glass panel slid open, and the brown android stepped out. "Thank you for your help, Miss Gordon," Verlix said, walking over to the computer. "Best of luck on your end." The android reached out and pressed a button. The call ended.

Jason stared at Verlix's body. He had never seen the android in action before. Next to him, the robot was clearly a head taller than him. The limbs, though creaky and a little rusty, were extremely thick and sturdy.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jason demanded.

"It is my sole duty," Verlix said. "My ultimate purpose."

"I'm coming too."

"You are not."

"You're not the only one who cares about her," Jason asserted, pulling the helmet over his head. Giant death machine or not, Verlix was not going to make him back down on his decision.

Suddenly, the android perked up and faced the exit. "Hold," he said. "What is this? I detect several large entities above us. Tanks."

"Militia?" Jason wondered out loud. "But if they're not at GCPD, then—." He was cut off by a rippling boom that shook the entire lair. The lights flickered. "They found us?"

"They found _you_ ," Verlix corrected. There was another explosion. A few pieces of ceiling dropped and smashed onto the floor. "But Jocelyn is in danger."

"Yeah, and so are we. If we want to save her, we have to get out of here first." Jason yanked a handgun from his belt and checked its magazine. "You said this place has multiple exits, right?"

"They have the tunnel surrounded," Verlix declared. "There are two others, but one caved in long ago."

"And the other one?" The earth trembled with another explosion. Jason felt the heavy rumble of something large collapsing.

"Also caved in," Verlix concluded.

"Tunnel entrance then," Jason decided as he dashed towards the stairs. Verlix followed him. "That would not be wise," the AI warned.

"Compared to what? Staying here until we get crushed under the rubble?" They rushed up the stairs. "Besides, we can take these guys."

"It is not the men I am concerned about. It is the drones."

"So? They're big and slow."

"Big and slow should not be underestimated," Verlix grumbled as the stairs underneath him groaned with strain.

When Jason reached the door, he used his helmet's vision to scout out what was waiting for them. There was a formation of soldiers trained on the door. Two tanks stood in watch behind them. "They're expecting us to come through here. There's a lot of resistance just outside."

"Then what do you propose we do?"

Jason unhooked another handgun and extended it towards the android. "We go out, guns a-blazin'," he responded. "How's your aim?"

Verlix took the gun. "I'd be more concerned with your own human error." Jason turned to the door. A hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back. "Wait," Verlix cautioned. "If we are to survive, we must think ahead of the enemy before barging into their lines of fire." He raised a hand and rested it on the thick metal door. "There are two rows of soldiers. The outer row stands while the inner row kneels. Out of reflex, they will fire in a line parallel to the ground. That means we are to keep below three feet to avoid fire. The soldiers will take approximately two to three seconds to adjust their aim. The tanks, unless ordered not to fire until on command or with a clear shot, will fire at approximate one and a half seconds after spotting us. It will take less than half a second for those missiles to hit. The explosions will hide us from the soldiers. Their aim will suffer. We cannot leave safety up to chance, however. You must remain behind me at all times."

"And then what?"

"Run out of the tunnel. We can lose them in the city."

Jason shook his head. "It's not gonna be that easy."

"If you have a better strategy, then by all means share."

Jason blew out a puff of air. "Okay, let's do this." He took a few steps away from the door, flexing his shoulder.

"Remember, three feet."

"Yes, I know."

"Stay behind me."

"Let's just open the goddamn door." Jason leaned forward, bracing himself.

"No, let me," Verlix objected, backing away but standing in front of Jason. "If you try, there's an 86 percent chance you will break your shoulder." There was a heavy pause as Verlix prepared to charge. Jason exhaled slowly, flexing the fingers that held his gun. Verlix charged forward.

There was an ear-shredding screech as the door was torn from the wall. Jason crouched down and lurched forward after Verlix. Flashes of light lit up the dark tunnel. A chorus of firing guns greeted them. Jason lifted his gun and fired, and fired again. Two flashes of light disappeared.

"To me, Mr. Todd!" Verlix roared above the gunfire. As Jason scrambled over to the android, the grounded jolted violently. The boom of the explosion was so loud it shot pain through his head. Jason fell onto his side. He felt chunks of rubble and dust hitting him. He tried to move, but he realized he couldn't see. Or hear. Or determine which way was up and which was down.

Then, he could barely register something grabbing him by the base of his arm and harshly pulling at him. Jason shook his head, trying to bring back his senses. They were slowly coming back. The helmet had reduced some of the damage dealt by the explosion; otherwise, Jason wasn't sure he would ever be able to hear again.

He realized that someone was half carrying, half dragging him along. Based on the heavy footsteps, it was most likely Verlix. Jason let out an exhausted grunt as he lifted his head. His hearing was coming back. He could hear the gunfire and shouts. Raising an arm, he fired at the source of the noise.

"Can you walk? Mr. Todd, can you walk?" Verlix was asking.

"Y-yeah," Jason mumbled as he tried to find his footing. The android pulled him onto his feet. "We're almost out of the tunnel. Just a few more—." He cut off and stopped. Jason almost smacked into him.

The tunnel entrance was just before them. But something big was there, blotting out the light. The silhouette of a man next to a Cobra tank. It was then Jason realized how quiet it was.

"Looks like you've made a new friend," a voice mused. It was coming from the man. His face was dark, but Jason recognized him. "Figures it'd be a tin can. You're too pathetic to be in the presence of other human beings."

Jason's breath was heavy. "Mortuge," he growled.

"Glad you remember me, _old friend_. Tin Can, put the gun down. Unless you two want to become spots on the ground." Verlix lowered his gun. Out of the corner of his eye, Jason noticed the android's optics flitting around. Observing. Calculating. Jason needed to buy him some time.

"I figured you'd be the one to chase me down. Probably volunteered, didn't you?"

"I put out some hints," Mortuge replied slyly. "I was looking so forward to seeing you riddled with bullets, but you know what? I've changed my mine. I want you alive. So I'll give you a choice. Step away from the robot, and we won't kill you. Stay where you are, and the tank will fire on the both of you. Sorry, Tin Can. You're going to have to be decommissioned either way. So what'll it be?"

Jason grit his teeth. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Verlix dip his head in the smallest of nods. A small stream of rock dust fell from the roof of the tunnel near him. He didn't really like what he was prepared to do next, but it was their only chance.

"Do your worst."

* * *

 _ **Addendum: School is starting back up again. Can't you just smell the dread and anguish in the air?**_

 _ **Also, there's nothing wrong with big and slow. Manatees are big and slow, and they're**_ **awesome _. Seriously, have you seen that gif/video of the one that bumps headfirst into the glass wall? Amazing._**


	23. Chapter 23 - One Final Calculation

"What are you doing, Mr. Todd?" Verlix hissed at a low volume. "Step away. Leave me. Then at least you will have a chance."

"I've betrayed too many people already," Jason whispered. "It's not happening again. I know what I'm doing."

"I gave you a choice," Mortuge said. He turned away and began strolling out of view. "Sergeant, fire."

"But sir," the drone operator replied over the comm link, of which both Jason and Verlix were still connected to. "What about the men in the tunnel?"

"Their valiant sacrifices will be remembered as part of the effort that took down the Arkham Knight," Mortuge replied matter-of-factly. "Now fire." The turret of the Cobra tank began glowing.

Lieutenant General Mortuge was not aware of one crucial fact that Jason knew. After Batman had destroyed the Cloudburst with the help of a rogue, hacked Cobra drone, Scarecrow demanded that all Cobras be fitted with explosives next to their cores. That way, should the enemy ever take a Cobra again, the militia had a fast and easy way of getting rid of it. The bombs could only be triggered by the select few who held detonators.

And one of the select few was there in the tunnel. When he deserted Scarecrow, they never had a chance to take it from him. Jason's hand flew to his belt right as the Cobra's turret began shifting backwards in recoil. He pressed a button. A brilliant, blinding light engulfed the tank. Then followed the exploding roar. The shockwave reached them in less than a second. It struck Jason, knocking him off of his feet. A large chunk of stone hit the face of his helmet. Lying on his back, he watched with a fading vision as the tunnel began falling towards him.

* * *

There wasn't much time before their surroundings would completely cave in on them. There was a 22 percent chance that Verlix himself would be able to survive the collapse and dig himself out. That chance would increase to 100 if he ran now and tried to make it out in time. Verlix was to take every opportunity to survive. He needed to preserve his existence for Jocelyn. It was his purpose.

But there was absolutely no chance that a human would be able to survive the collapse. Verlix looked down at Jason. Still, that human was not Jocelyn, so did it matter?

It did. The android swooped down and picked him up. He stooped over and huddled Jason to his torso to protect the boy from falling debris as he charged towards the mouth of the tunnel. Chunks of slab pounded against his back. He felt pieces of steel plating tear from his body, revealing the frayed wiring underneath. Verlix experienced no pain, but felt his body grow more and more sluggish as pieces of rock slashed his wiring and lodged into his exposed joints.

Suddenly, a huge block of rock slammed into him. The android stumbled as his right shoulder and arm was ripped from his body. Jason fell from his grip. Not only that, but Verlix's damaged left knee was on the verge of snapping.

There was no way they would make it in time. No, there was still a chance. One last quick calculation. And that would be it. Verlix grabbed Jason with his remaining arm, sprang forward, and threw the boy as hard as he could.

Then the last light disappeared. Everything was dark, and everything was still.

* * *

His consciousness flared back up as soon as he hit the ground. Jason let out a grunt as the air was forced out of his lungs. He propped himself up on his arms as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. He had been in the tunnel… everything collapsed. But now he was out in the open. The ground beneath him was slick with rain. He saw trails of it run down his helmet. Jason slowly and painfully rose to his feet. His body felt beaten and bruised all over, but he couldn't let that stop him.

He heard a voice. Someone was talking to him via comm link. "Are you there?"

Jason instantly recognized the voice. He whirled around, scanning the area. "Verlix!" The android was nowhere in sight.

"Did you make it out?"

"Yes. Where are you?"

"Do not be concerned for me." He sounded odd. The sound rose up and down in volume and was choppy, like a busted radio. A deep feeling of dread began growing in the pit of Jason's stomach. He looked at the collapsed tunnel entrance. "No…" He rushed to the rocks and started clawing through them. "You can't be—."

"There is nothing worth digging up at this point," Verlix said. "You need to go."

"I can hear it in your voice. You're dying!" Jason argued, throwing pieces of rubble aside.

"One can object to your choice of words."

"Stop it!" Jason snapped. "Stop talking like that! Stop talking like everything's normal!" He grabbed a chunk of rock and hurled it onto the ground. The rock shattered, flying everywhere. "You fucking bastard! Why did you have to play the hero?"

"Because…" Verlix's voice was growing quieter, fuzzier. "I came to a critical decision. You are worth protecting. Just know that."

"I… I'm sorry, Verlix." Jason drew a deep breath. There was nothing he could do. Being angry and frustrated wasn't going to change anything. He rested his hand on a boulder. "Even being what you are, you're better than most people I've met," he whispered.

"Good bye, Jason."

In the corner of his mask appeared a little notification: SIGNAL LOST.

Jason leaned forward and rested his forehead against the boulder. He grabbed the handgun from his belt and gripped it tightly. "I swear I'll save her." Raising his head, he backed away from the boulder and turned towards the night.

* * *

Thankfully, Barbara's prediction never happened. The tracking bug was still up and transmitting as he made his way across the city. They had taken her to Miagani Island.

Running across a rooftop, Jason found himself listening to the idle chatter of the militia anytime he managed to pick up on their conversations.

"I guess it's official then?"

"Pretty much."

"But did they confirm it? Find the body?"

"Shit, they collapsed a tunnel on top of him. That's good enough."

"Hm, good point. I'm glad. The Arkham Knight's no soldier in my eyes. He abandoned his own men."

"Why'd he do that in the first place?"

"Hell if I know. Got scared of the Batman or whatever."

"Really? Seems like he was the only person to ever understand the Bat. I thought for sure Knight was the one who was going to take him down."

"Tonight's been full of surprises."

 _You have know idea_ , Jason thought as he zipped up onto another rooftop. Below him was the bridge that led to Miagani Island. The barriers were still lowered from when Batman had infiltrated the island.

Jason dropped down onto the ground and ran across the bridge. A random thought bubbled up into his mind. He was no longer the Arkham Knight; that identity died long ago. Then who was he now? He obviously couldn't crusade around using his real name like a dumbass.

An intrusive voice whispered to him, " _You used to be Robin, remember?_ " Instead of feeling nostalgic, that he felt disgusted by that title. He would never, _ever_ return to that. And besides, the position had already been filled by that other fucker. Well you know what? More power to him. Hope he liked being Batman's _pet._

Something out of the corner of his eye caught Jason's attention. He turned his head just as he passed an abandoned car. For a split second, he caught sight of a red reflection looking back at him from the car's window.

Red… Red… Red Robin? No. No, fuck that. A thousand times no. Then what about… Red Hood?

Whoa, where did that name come from? Well, someone had used it in the past, so that's where he'd heard of it. But… hmm, it wasn't too bad. Not bad at all.

"Red Hood," Jason mused to himself. "Isn't that just fucking ironic?" Now that he had chosen a new alias, he felt something strange. Was it relief? Joy? It could have something to do with a new start and a new name, but that would be way too cheesy. "Focus, _focus._ Jocelyn isn't too far." A map appeared in his helmet, and the tracking bug's signal was denoted by a red dot. It looked like they had taken her to Garrison Hall, a large, one-room building that had been named in honor of… someone.

Stationed at each entrance were large patrols. Well, on the bright side, he at least knew he was in the right place. Jason crouched down next to a stripped van and peered over the edge. Each guard was armed. Two sentries were positioned together at the wall closest to Jason. Their scanners swept over the area around them, but there was a blind spot right between them.

Taking the machines out first was the way to go. Then, he'd have to quickly take out the nearest guards before any of them could notify the men inside the building.

Jason climbed onto the van and zipped up to the roof of Garrison Hall. He dropped down right into the sentries' blind spot. There were panels on the bottom of each of the sentries that protected the off buttons. Normally, the panels could only be opened by an electronic key that was held by the head technician, but there were other ways to do the job. Jason reached down and, with a powerful jerk, tore the panel open. He hit the button. The sentry's lights dimmed, and it stopped moving. He did the same for the other turret.

Footsteps told him that someone was coming. Jason quickly zipped back onto the roof just as two guards rounded the corner. The one in the lead noticed the nonmoving sentries. "Did they overheat again?" he muttered to the other. "For the best tech money can buy, these things are pretty shitty."

"These are second-hand, remember? Repaired as best as possible after Batman fucked them up. You'd think our budget was big enough to replace sentries," the second one replied.

Jason dropped down behind the second guard. He grabbed the guard's head, pressing a hand over his mouth. With a sharp tug and a crack, the guard dropped lifelessly onto the ground.

"Hey, someone tampered with this," the first guard said as he saw the torn panel. He turned around. "Batman's here. Alert the—." Jason plunged a knife into the guard's throat before he could say anymore. The second body fell.

"If only it were just Batman," he said coldly. He turned away. There were more guards to deal with. He took care of all of them the same way: swift and mercilessly, just as justice was meant to be. No one was able to raise alarm.

There were no more guards behind the main doors. Beyond them was a small lobby. The lobby had two staircases on either side of the room that led to the main hall. As Jason climbed the stairs, he looked around for a stealthier path. He could see that there were quite a few armed men inside the hall. A head-on entrance wasn't going to do him any favors.

The upper right corner of the wall had a ventilation shaft. Jason pulled the cover off and slipped into the vent. The path of the vent went on for a little while, and then dropped down to ground level. The exit was located next to a large desk. Jason cursed his bad luck; this spot was a terrible vantage point.

But he could see her. She was standing out in the open. Her left side was empty; the robotic arm was gone. Her helmet was off, and there was a dried stream of blood that stuck her hair to the side of her face. She was surrounded by a ring of soldiers who held her at gunpoint.

He knew that being at the receiving end of a gun didn't scare Jocelyn. So why didn't she do anything? If anything, she at least had her cloak. Jason turned his head and saw what was across from her.

She wasn't making any moves because there was a civilian kneeling on the ground with a gun to her head. The holder of the gun was blocked from his view by the desk. But he didn't need to see to know who it was.

"This will be quick. I've got other things to do." Mortuge. Of course. Jason was sick of the bastard.

"You're a monster," Jocelyn hissed.

"You may think so. But men like me are a necessary evil," Mortuge replied, his voice echoing in the large room. "Society can't function without a little brutality. Fear of punishment is what keeps people in order. You wouldn't understand, being a delusional vigilante and all." The gun left the hostage's head, but the barrel was still trained on her. "Stand up," Mortuge ordered to the civilian. "Alright, Specter. You think you're so high and mighty. Let's test that conscience of yours."

* * *

 _ **Addendum: Reeeeed Robin (yummmm~).**_

 _ **Brace yourselves. Classes are coming. Although for some of you, they've already started. My sympathies.**_


	24. Chapter 24 - Right the Wrongs

There had been only one other time in her life where she had felt this helpless, where horrid people had held her down and mutilated her. Her arm was gone and her powers were useless. And worst of all, there was nothing she could do as she watched the other victim—a paramedic, judging by her uniform—rise to her feet as per that monster's orders. Two soldiers took the paramedic and dragged her past Jocelyn.

She tried to turn her head to watch them, but heard the monster speak up. "Keep your head forward." He motioned a soldier over, and one appeared with a silver handgun. "Now here's the thing. I've got here a relatively weak gun. Low caliber, minimal kick, that kind of deal." He turned the gun to the side and nonchalantly inspected it. The soldiers stopped and held the paramedic directly behind Jocelyn. "Wouldn't be strong enough to make any exit wounds. So that means…" He raised the gun and pointed it directly at Jocelyn. "… You choose who dies, hero."

Jocelyn stared into the barrel of the gun, every muscle in her body tense. The choices ran through her head. The monster knew the Specter, knew how she could choose to save herself. But she couldn't do it, and he knew that too. On top of that, trying to cloak or any attempt to defy her captors would lead to an outcome that Jocelyn wasn't sure of, but she doubt it would be good.

"If you kill me, you'll have at least two very pissed off hunters on your trail," Jocelyn warned. "One of them is a little more loose on morals than the other. Are you sure you want to gamble on those odds?"

The monster's composure didn't change. "If Batman survived GCPD, he's going after Scarecrow and the Commissioner, not you. And if you're referring to that robot, it's gone. Along with that traitor."

 _No…_ She refused to believe him. And yet those words caused an icy grip to squeeze her heart and send dread coursing through her body. A lump rose to her throat. "Verlix is—?"

Her voice ended abruptly. For some reason, she felt the quick, sharp strike in her abdomen long before she heard the crackling bang. There was no pain, only a searing hot sensation in her stomach. The muscles around the wound were uncontrollably tense. She struggled to draw in breath.

Another sharp punch hit her. She could barely register where. There was still no pain. Her legs buckled underneath her, and she collapsed. The moment she hit the ground, her abdomen felt as though it had caught on fire. The burning was unbearable, but she could hardly move.

"For God's sake!" she heard the muffled voice of the paramedic cry out. Jocelyn felt so cold. Something warm was pooling against her arm. She slid her hand over to her side, using her numb, trembling fingers to unlatch something small from her belt. It was the only thing that could save her. But the last of her strength ebbed away, and her hand fell limply to the ground.

"Don't worry. Your turn's coming up." She could hardly keep her eyes open. Her vision was all but black anyway.

The last thing she remembered was hearing another gunshot. But this one sounded comforting for some reason…

* * *

Even when he managed to remain undetected while unlatching the vent screen, he still couldn't leave the duct without being spotted. That meant no good angles on Mortuge, and there were too many soldiers in the room to confront. The sniper rifle, made from combining his two handguns, rested uselessly against his leg.

But Jason had stalled for too long. Staying cautious had cost him. He heard the gunshot and felt his stomach drop. His eyes flew to Jocelyn. Her body was rigid, and there was a tiny red dot in her stomach. Jason nearly cried out.

And even before the initial shock wore off, she was shot again. This one took the last of her strength away. When she fell, Jason felt something familiar. The crushing, devastating feeling that told him that he failed. That he hadn't been strong enough.

And that made him furious.

At that moment, all caution, all wariness, disappeared. In a frenzy of red, Jason snatched up the sniper rifle and took aim. The second he focused his rifle, he squeezed the trigger. One of the soldiers holding the paramedic dropped like a brick. Immediately, the room exploded with alarm.

Jason emerged from the vent. A few soldiers spotted him. Before they could fire, Jason pressed the switch of a tiny device in his palm. A large explosion of smoke enveloped him. Flashes of light lit up the room and bullets flew into the smoke, but he was already gone.

A red figure emerged behind one soldier. The noise alerted the soldier, who turned around. Jason raised his rifle and bashed the butt of the weapon into the soldier's throat. When another one noticed him, Jason quickly repositioned his rifle and put a bullet through the man's skull.

He was grossly outnumbered, but cover and confusion were his allies. Jason threw the smoke device up into the air and unloaded two rounds into it. A shrill, thunder-like crack split the air as bolts of electricity and curls of smoke rippled through the air.

Even as the room quickly became enshrouded in gray, Jason could still see with his mask. Every soldier was easy pickings. And he didn't plan on leaving even one alive, not after what they did to her. He didn't care if he had once considered himself on their side. Batman saw them was criminals, but they were even lower than that. They were scum, and now they were up against someone who wasn't afraid to sink to their level.

Finally, there was only one left. One last pest to take care of. He had managed to survive this long, but that was only because Jason allowed it. Not anymore.

Even when he emerged from the smoke, Mortuge seemed to already know he was there. It was impressive, but it wasn't enough. Mortuge whirled around, knife flying towards the red mask. A hand shot out and caught the wrist in a steely grip. Jason's foot whipped out and kicked Mortuge's knee in, forcing him down in a kneel.

Leaning closing, Jason hissed, "What's wrong, Lieutenant General? Weapon spent?" How he longed to mock the bastard and draw out his death, but he knew that she was running out of time. With a cold, inhuman disposition, Jason jammed the barrel of the gun against his forehead. "I've got a few bullets left. Here, let me share them with you." He pulled the trigger. It was over.

The cruel, emotionless presence that possessed him suddenly evaporated. Jason whirled around, feeling the dull pounding of his human heart in his throat.

The paramedic was bent over her, hands pressed firmly down on the bullet wounds. Jason hurried over. The paramedic looked up at him with a terrified expression. Understandable. She had seen him just appear and start shooting up the place.

"I'm here to help," Jason said, the words feeling foreign on his tongue. He crouched by Jocelyn's unconscious body. "How is she?"

"I… I can't believe he…" the paramedic stammered. She quickly cleared her head with a firm shake. "She's lost a lot of blood." It was pooled around their knees. "She's slipping. I don't know how much longer she has. _Jesus_ , what's happened to this city?"

Her desperate remark struck a chord with Jason, but he refused to acknowledge it. "We're losing her?" he snapped. "No. No, no, no. I won't let that happen. I'm not going to let her _fucking die!_ " He gripped Jocelyn's hand tightly. There was something in her palm. Jason took it and opened his hand, revealing a small cylinder. On the side of the cylinder was a silver plate. With a finger, he pushed the plate. A needle poked out from one end of the cylinder.

Jason realized what it was. Maybe there was something he could do after all.

He pushed the paramedic's hands away from Jocelyn's wounds. "What are you—?" the paramedic asked as Jason took the syringe and injected its contents close to the bullet wounds.

"What did you do?" the paramedic demanded.

"It's a clotting agent," Jason explained, pulling the needle out and tossing the empty container aside. He gingerly laid a hand over Jocelyn's bloody stomach.

The paramedic shook her head. "She's already lost so much. I don't know if that'll even make a difference."

"Don't you dare say that!" Jason roared. The paramedic flinched. "We need to take her someplace safe. Are there any working hospitals, medical stations, _anything_?"

The paramedic shook her head. "GCPD's the only thing we have left."

"Then that's where we're going." Jason rose to his feet and walked to a nearby corpse.

"How? It's a warzone out there!"

"We'll be fine." Jason threw the scavenged car key up and caught it in a tight fist. "I'll drive. You need to stay with her." He walked back to Jocelyn and picked her delicately off the ground. As he carried her out of Garrison Hall, he gazed at her face.

 _I caused this mess_ , he thought. _But I'll make things right._

* * *

Throughout this entire hellish night, she had managed to keep her cool. But now she wanted to scream. Everything was going so wrong. First she had watched as Scarecrow took her father away, and now Tim was in danger too.

As much as Barbara cared for him, she knew how worried and guilty Bruce felt. She was terrified at the thought of what lengths he would go to save Tim. And like always, there was nothing she could do but sit and wait.

Closing her eyes, Barbara rested her hands on either side of the keyboard and took a deep breath. She couldn't think like this. She had to focus on the positive things. GCPD and everyone inside, including herself, were safe. The militia's grasp on the city was diminishing. Gotham was going to be saved. Batman would make sure of that.

 _Then why doesn't it feel like we're winning?_ Barbara opened her eyes. She turned her head and watched an officer apply new bandages onto his knife wound.

Suddenly, a loud voice startled her. Barbara jumped as she heard an officer yell out, "Identify yourself!"

"I said open the damn gate!" a voice barked back over the channel. The source of the signal was coming from the main shutter door. "I've got a severely wounded here! _Open the gate!_ "

Barbara wheeled her chair around and rushed to surveillance desk. Officer Cash and another policeman were peering at the monitor. "Sir, that's one of the militia's SUVs," the policeman said. "We could send a squadron around and flank it."

"Who is that? What do they think they're doing?"

"What's going on?" Barbara demanded.

"Keep that gate shut, officer."

Barbara looked at the monitor. It showed security feed from outside the shutter door. An armored vehicle sat in front of the door. It was too difficult to see who was in the driver's seat.

"Barbara!" the voice pleaded. "You have to let me in! She's dying, Barb!"

Barbara's eyes widened. Both officers looked at her. "How does he—?"

"Let them in, Cash!" Barbara demanded.

"But—!"

"Do it!" She shot him a glare. Cash reached down and hit the switch. The shutter door began rising. When the door had barely raised enough to let the vehicle in, the car shot through.

"I hope you know what you're doing," Cash said as Barbara wheeled away. "Who is he?"

"And old friend," Barbara answered as she headed straight for the underground entrance.

* * *

 ** _Addendum: Apologies for the late update (though that's pretty much become the norm). These past two weeks have been stressful because we had a pretty bad bug infestation in our apartment. No worries; the problem has been handled._**

 ** _Also, the end is coming! I'm serious! The next chapter will probably be the last. I'm not exactly sure how to end this story, so I'll probably take a few days to think about it (no, I don't plan out these stories. I get a basic gist, and then write as I go). If you've stuck with this since the first chapter, I want to let you know how much I appreciate your dedication! Now have a nice day!_**


	25. Chapter 25 - Three and a Half Months

The doors burst open as they wheeled her through. He followed them, though his slow, deliberate steps caused him to lag behind. Eventually, he stopped and stood in the middle of the room, watching them push her past another set of doors. He caught one last glimpse of her pale face before the doors swung back into place.

He heard someone come up from behind him He knew who it was by the sound of her wheelchair. "She looked like a corpse," Jason whispered.

"She's going to be okay," Barbara reassured.

Jason turned away. "Don't lie to me like that."

"Well we can't dwell on the worst," Barbara said. "That's when we start losing hope."

" _Hope_." Jason scoffed. "For the longest time, I hated that word. Hope paves the way for bigger disappointments." He turned back to Barbara and wildly swept an arm. "Look around you. Take a good fucking look, Barb. How can you say there's any hope?"

Barbara returned his glare with an unwavering gaze. "Sit down, Jason," she offered. "You've been through a lot tonight."

Jason shook his head, but knew she was right. He could feel all the events of the night catching up to him, filling his body with exhaustion and dragging him to the ground. But anytime he thought about slowing down, he felt that encroaching, horrible feeling of helplessness. "I can't," he said. "You're right. I've been through a lot. I've been responsible for a lot of things. What happened to you, what happened to her…" He trailed off. "I promised her I'd make things right. Now I think I know how." Raising a hand, Jason began calibrating something through his helmet.

"What are you doing?" Barbara asked.

"Adjusting the tracking data you sent me," Jason answered. "I'm going to find Bruce." He saw the look that quickly flashed over Barbara's face. "I know what you're thinking. But having your dad means that Scarecrow has leverage over Batman. We both know he'll do whatever Scarecrow wants him to. I'm aware of the twisted things Crane has in store." The calibrations were complete. A map and a blinking dot appeared in Jason's mask. It was moving fast. He was running out of time.

"Good luck, Jason," Barbara said.

"Let me know when she wakes up," Jason replied, heading for the doors. He couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu.

* * *

By the time she opened her eyes, it was over. She lay there in silence as the medics and officers explained how Batman had brought Crane into custody and eliminated his grasp over Gotham. Their faces were full of hope as they spoke.

Then she closed her eyes and went to sleep. When she opened them again, their faces were filled with sorrow. Their voices were barely more than a whisper as they told her that Batman was gone.

"What do you mean by that?" Jocelyn asked.

"He's just… gone," one of them replied in an unhelpful manner.

"Here, have a look at this," Barbara said. A small monitor mounted onto the wall lit up as she pulled up a video from a national news channel's website. The video had been uploaded 14 hours ago. It was titled _WAYNE MANOR DESTROYED IN POSSIBLE ATTACK_. Jocelyn watched with bleary eyes

It started with a male reporter introducing himself. Behind him, there were swarms of other reporters and cameramen.

"—only hours after the live broadcast from Arkham Asylum," the reporter was saying. "Bruce Wayne, now confirmed to be the secret identity of Batman, has yet to make any statements after the big reveal." The reporter's eyes shot to the sky. The camera followed suit. The Batwing passed overhead and slowed down over Wayne Manor, where it began to slowly descend. "There he is now!"

As the Batwing touched down, the reporters began flooding towards the manor's gate. The camera peered between the gate's bars as a dark figure emerged from the Batwing. As the camera zoomed in, the blurry figure's flowing cape made it obvious who it was. In an instant, the reporters began crying out, their voices mixing into a cacophony. Batman ignored them all as he headed straight for the manor.

It was only after he had entered through the front doors that the noise died down. The last shot of the manor was Alfred's face before the doors closed. The camera returned to the reporter. "It seems that Bruce Wayne has chosen to stay silent on the matter. However, given enough time, we may still be able to see—."

A cracking boom cut the reporter off. The camera shook as its operator stumbled. Screams rang out. People shielded their heads and ducked to the ground. In the next instant, Wayne Manor was on fire. Half of its structure had been blown away from the explosion. Barbara paused the video. Jocelyn stared at the still image of the ruined building and the wall of fire cascading from it.

"Did you know it was going to happen?" Jocelyn asked.

"No. I don't think anyone saw it coming," Barbara replied.

"Gotham won't ever be the same."

"I think Bruce already knew that." Barbara backed up and wheeled herself towards the exit. "But I think he wouldn't have wanted any of us to blame ourselves. Just get some rest; you need it."

As Jocelyn lay back down, she asked, "Where's Jason?"

Barbara stopped. "We lost contact with him after he left," she answered slowly. "He went after Batman around 24 hours ago."

"When is he coming back?"

"He can't come back."

"What?"

Barbara turned around. "After they put Scarecrow behind bars, GCPD began hunting down everyone who was affiliated with him. Including the Arkham Knight."

Jocelyn closed her eyes. She took a deep breath. "I see."

"I'm sorry," she heard Barbara say. "But I know Jason can look after himself."

"Yeah."

* * *

A few uneventful days passed. Jocelyn often wondered what was happening outside of GCPD, but barely had the strength to stand. She was confined to the small room where the world was still.

The lights had been shut off for the night. There was no sound save for her slow, even breathing. The door opened a crack and quickly shut. A hand reached out and gently touched the sleeping girl's cheek. Jocelyn's eyes fluttered open. There was a dark figure looming over her. She took a sharp intake of breath, preparing to cry out in alarm.

"It's just me, Jo," he whispered. He leaned in closer so that she could see his face.

Jocelyn blinked her bleary eyes. "You shouldn't be here," she muttered. "You're not safe. There's a camera in here."

"There _was_ ," Jason corrected. "And I know. My little truce with GCPD is over. Not that it matters; I wasn't ever planning on being buddies with them like Batman was." His expression changed when he mentioned Bruce.

"I heard what happened," Jocelyn said.

"It doesn't matter," Jason said firmly. "It happened. We're moving forward. The city's still a shit show. We've got a lot of work to do."

"What are you planning?"

"I've got a bone to pick with Black Mask. I don't think it's going to be much trouble."

Jocelyn painfully pulled herself up. "I'll come with you."

"You're joking. Jo, you'd probably hurt yourself trying to walk out the door." He rested a hand on her arm. "Just stay here. It's the safest place in the city right now."

"I'll be fine," Jocelyn argued. "Just give me a few weeks."

"You're going to need three months at the _least_ ," Jason corrected. "Please, stay put."

Reluctantly, Jocelyn complied. With a sigh, she said, "And then we can go back to kicking ass together, just like the old days, right?"

"I'm looking forward to it." He straightened up. Jocelyn grabbed his hand.

"Jason, what happened to Verlix?" The look in her eyes told him that she was terrified of the answer. Jason sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled her to his chest.

"He saved my life," he answered quietly. Jocelyn shuddered as she let out a stifled sob.

"That sounds like him," she said tearfully.

"Are you kidding?" Jason teased, trying to lighten the mood. "It would be more like him to kill me like he always threatened." Jocelyn didn't say anything as she pressed her face against him.

"I just wish he didn't have to leave me."

"I know. I'm sorry." Jason pulled away and pressed a folded piece paper into Jocelyn's hand. "Listen, the guard is about to swing by here any minute. I know you don't want me coming back here, so I'll wait for you." He closed her fingers over the paper. "In three month's time, you'll know where to find me."

Jocelyn looked back up as Jason took a step back. "I've always loved you," she blurted out. Jason chuckled softly.

"That was so cheesy. You must be more tired than I thought," he said playfully. "I'll see you around, babe."

Jocelyn saw him back away into the darkness. "Wait," she mumbled groggily, but he was gone. Wondering if what she had seen and heard had been a dream or hallucination, she closed her eyes. The paper was still tucked snugly in her hand.

* * *

Three and a half months were a long time to wait. But Gotham had no short supply of villains eager to rise up and take advantage of the absence of Batman. Most of the time, he let the others handle it—Nightwing and that other kid. He had long put the hero business behind him. Oh sure, he took care of a few crime bosses here and there, but that was because he wanted them gone. And not 'behind-bars gone.' That was the one place he differed from Batman: they both took the law into their own hands as vigilantes, but Red Hood did it better. He made sure that a criminal's latest offence was their last offence.

Tonight the air was cool and damp. The day had been peppered with soft drizzles of rain. Then, as the sun sank into the horizon, the clouds parted. The night sky was alight with stars and the solitary moon.

He kicked at a leaf, and then leaned back onto the dusty old billboard. It had been years since the thing had displayed any advertisement. When a project swept over the city that converted old billboards into digital ones, this one had been forgotten and left behind. Its faded white surface, stained from rain, faced a large hospital building. It was going to be a long night, just like every other night. Still, he had to wait. He had promised.

After a few hours, another light shower came raining down. He stayed where he was, arms crossed with his back against the billboard. His eyes moved up and down as he watched trails of water run down his mask. He'd wait a little longer, and then leave. And then come back tomorrow.

But that wouldn't be necessary. Above the rainwater, he heard footsteps. Red Hood pushed himself upright. And there she was. There they were. At the exact same place all those nights ago. But she wasn't the same. Her left arm ended right at the base, her right arm held the cracked helmet with one blue light broken, and her suit had two holes in the abdomen. But he couldn't have seen a more beautiful sight.

Before he could say anything, she dropped the helmet and raised a worn piece of paper up. " _Meet me where it all started_ ," she quoted. "That would've actually been the Batcave, you moron."

"Well that wasn't the most romantic of all meetings," Red Hood replied. "I tackled you to the ground, remember?"

"Yes, and I tried to cut your face open with a knife, so the feeling was mutual."

"God, I've missed you."

"So 'Red Hood' is the name I've been hearing on the streets," the Specter remarked casually as she tilted her hips and placed her hand on them. "He wouldn't happen to be this red-masked fellow in front of me, would he?"

Red Hood threw his arms open as he stepped towards her. "It took me a while to put this whole get-up together," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "You like?"

The Specter traced the lines of his chest plate. "I do," she mused. "But I can't help noticing a few design flaws."

"Care to point them out?"

"Well there's this mask right here," she said, sliding a finger over it. "Really gets in the way of that kissable face, doesn't it?"

"Right." Red Hood pulled his mask up. "How's that?" The Specter answered by leaning up and pressing their lips together.

When they parted, the Specter continued, "Then there's this suit…"

"Let me guess: it's in the way?"

"You're just on top of things, aren't you?"

"And I'm about to be on top of _someone_ ," Red Hood replied slyly. "Right after this." He brought up a paper between them.

The Specter took it. "More papers?" she mumbled in an exasperated tone. "What is this?"

"A wanted poster for a not-so-pleasant individual," Red Hood answered. "He's really a piece of work. Weapon smuggling, human trafficking, drug dealing, and I bet he kicks puppies too. He and his lovely gang just took over a territory I cleared out a few days ago. How about we go find your arm and knock a few heads together?"

The Specter looked up from the paper. "Sounds like a date."

* * *

 _ **Addendum: Bam. We're done.**_

 ** _I didn't realize until recently how long it took me to write this final chapter. Life snuck up behind me and grabbed me by the balls. And I don't have any, so you can imagine my surprise._**

 ** _Anyway, this story has finally reached its conclusion. Thank you so, SO much for sticking with me through this entire thing. And an ESPECIALLY big thank you to Erik-is-my-angel1234 for all your reviews and feedback! Love ya, bae._**

 ** _Also, I'm planning to start an Avatar (the bending one) story in the near future, as I discovered it a few months ago and have been hooked ever since. That will take a while since I have two exams coming up, and I have never felt more like crying._**

 ** _And if you're wondering about when I'm continuing my Ace Attorney story, well... uh... I'm sorry, I'm not available now. Please leave a message after the beep..._**


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